It’s an odd combination, especially considering most movies present religion in an optimistic light, while horror movies are typically gory and bloody, full of murder, monsters, and jump scares. However, Heretic takes a different approach. Instead of following the “murder-happy” route where the antagonist chases women around with a knife, the film makes the characters (and the audience) uneasy. It’s the tension that makes the movie great. Whenever Mr. Reed, the film’s villain played by Hugh Grant, goes on rants about his beliefs, it causes both the audience and the characters to feel tense, wondering what he is going to do next. The true horror of Mr. Reed is that he isn’t so much a physical threat as he is an intellectual one. What is Mr. Reed intellectually challenging that affects the main characters? To understand that, we need to know who these main characters are.
Paxton and Barnes, played by Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher, are two young women who came to Mr. Reed’s house as missionaries. At the movie’s start, it’s shown that their efforts to convert bystanders are a failure. For instance, Paxton is ridiculed by a group of teenage girls. She expresses her frustrations to Barnes about the difficulties of being a missionary and how they’re always looked down upon for spreading the word of God. This sets up the future conflict these girls will have with religion, which is what Mr. Reed challenges.
The antagonist, Mr. Reed, is a heretic. For those who are unaware of its meaning, “heretic” comes from the word heresy, which is a contrary belief that goes against orthodox religions like Christianity. As a heretic, Mr. Reed believes religions are fabrications. He poses the question: did God create man, or did man create God? And is the Bible as true to the word of God as many believe it to be? Consider the imperfections of man: would he rather abandon his flaws, or would he try to filter them in a way that makes it seem he’s doing the right thing? He questions how much of the Bible is true to the word of God and how much has been fabricated to serve personal agendas. Mr. Reed continues to challenge the two young women, trying to persuade them that religion is a mere fabrication created by men. His rants contradict the beliefs of the two church-going sisters. This reinforces that Heretic is not your typical slasher or faith-based movie; rather, it is a deconstruction of religion. Mr. Reed argues that religion is not a revolutionary aspect of life but a means of control. However, the film doesn’t present Mr. Reed’s ideas as an absolute right or wrong. Instead, it’s meant to showcase the internal struggle people face when confronted with such questions.
Heretic is a film about the existential horror of life. It isn’t designed to give definitive answers about religion but rather to leave the audience with unresolved questions about religion. This ambiguity aligns with the film’s intention. The purpose is to make the audience leave with questions, encouraging them to take a closer look at their beliefs and confront difficult topics that are often avoided.
A seemingly constant aspect of the movie is the repeated mention of butterflies. The characters talk about them, and they are seen trapped within the house. Butterflies can symbolize self-growth, transformation, and liberation. Having them trapped within the house is a subtle nod to the idea that while the girls are trapped, they still have the potential to be liberated. This liberation could have a different meaning. When the butterfly first lands on Paxton’s hand, it could symbolize the journey of self-growth she undergoes. Paxton faces many challenges against her faith, which ultimately helps her grow into a stronger person. But when the butterfly disappears from her hand, it could symbolize that Paxton never truly grew, that everything she underwent was ultimately in vain. Her religious beliefs, which were once firm and strong, could have fizzled away, as shown by the butterfly’s disappearance.
I personally thought this film was amazing. The subtle meanings behind everything the characters say are great. This film makes you focus on the dialogue. Usually, dialogue in horror movies is boring, and the audience is just waiting for the action, but Heretic makes it interesting. For people who enjoy a film with a deeper meaning or if you just like a horror movie with an unholy amount of tension, then you should watch Heretic.
