Shadows on the Wall

Heretic

dir-scr Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
prd Stacey Sher, Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, Julia Glausi, Jeanette Volturno
with Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace, Elle Young, Julie Lynn Mortensen, Haylie Hansen, Elle McKinnon, Hanna Huffman, Anesha Bailey, Miguel Castillo, Stephanie Lavigne
release UK 1.Nov.24,
US 8.Nov.24
24/Canada A24 1h50

TORONTO FILM FEST

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Rippling with provocative theological ideas, this horror thriller is brainier than most, and blessed with a wryly vicious performance from Hugh Grant. Filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods use the nature of religion to beef up an otherwise murky and whispery movie, adding some enjoyably brain-scrambling dialog to the usual chilling nastiness. So even if it's never particularly scary, the creepy vibe and intensely thoughtful theme make it riveting.

On a cold, rainy night Sister Barnes (Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (East) are doing their Mormon missionary service without much interest from the local residents. Their last stop is a little house, where Mr Reed (Grant) invites them in for some blueberry pie. Things are off from the start, as he proves to be a student of world religions and begins challenging their beliefs. And by the time they realise that his wife isn't actually in the kitchen, they're trapped in what feels like a maze of dark, dank stairways and basement rooms.

Mr Reed seems intent on teaching them a lesson, and he surely has an even more nefarious plan. Many scenes take place in badly underlit spaces as characters speak under their breath, leaving us unable to properly see or hear what's going on. This disorienting style makes the whole movie as insidious as the ideas Mr Reed glibly flings at these girls, who are naive but not dim. For example, he describes multiple iterations of the game Monopoly as stolen from an earlier, little-known original idea, the concept being that modern religions are mere remnants of much more ancient truth.

The script never grapples with these things, but Grant has fun raising thorny issues as Mr Reed rattles beliefs these girls pin their lives to. He infuses the role with a fantastic balance of charm and menace, which makes it impossible to ignore what he says. Both Thatcher and East have surprising moments, deepening their roles as things get increasingly yucky for these frightened young women.

It's rare to see a film use such robust arguments to explore the nature of faith, never taking the usual cheap shots. Still, the script's serious edge wanes in the final act, when the demands of the horror genre take over. But even as things get intensely grotesque and grisly, there is continuing banter about the nature of religious belief. The film may not ultimately have much to say on the matter, but at least it should get people talking.

themes, language, violence 31.Oct.24

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