'Heretic' Review: Hugh Grant’s Sinister Turn Anchors This Intense Mind Game

Is Heretic the movie we need right now? A thriller about a manipulative, egotistical aging creep who preys on young women and forces them to question their beliefs to the breaking point?

Maybe not. But it’s here, and audiences are already paying attention.

The latest from A24, Heretic premiered over the weekend to solid numbers at the box office—impressive for a film that dives headlong into heavy themes like religious manipulation and patriarchal control. But Heretic has all the right hooks for fans of psychological thrillers: a big-name lead with an unnerving edge (Hugh Grant), an intriguing premise, and two heroines with grit and brains (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East).

Hugh Grant takes on the role of an unsettlingly polite captor with a razor-sharp mix of charm and menace, opposite Thatcher and East as clever, quietly defiant Mormon missionaries. The dynamic between Grant and his co-stars is, at times, riveting. And Heretic is the rare thriller that builds strong tension with pages and pages of meaty dialogue, instead of phsyical threats.

But does Heretic measure up to recent horror-thriller hits like Barbarian or The Black Phone? It gets close—close enough to be worth your time.

The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the creative team who helped make A Quiet Place a hit but also had a few misfires (65 or Boogeyman anyone?). Thankfully, Heretic lands on the more successful end of their spectrum. The story follows Thatcher and East’s missionaries who, after a routine visit, find themselves trapped inside a house that seems to transform into a macabre maze as the hours pass. Grant’s character, the “host,” slowly reveals his more sinister intentions, and the film builds into a tense, claustrophobic face-off.

Grant’s performance is unshakable, a master class in slow-burn villainy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him act this menacing before. He’s a blinking, smiling monster in normcore cosplay, leveraging all the affable quirks and lovable nonchalance that made him a rom-com star, twisting them here into something truly spine-chilling. Watching Grant balance his character’s deceptive charm with his unsettling menace is half the thrill of Heretic —his performance alone almost justifies the film. If you’ve seen him in Paddington 2 or Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, you’ll know this is just the latest entry in what’s become an unexpected, highly enjoyable late-career renaissance.

But Heretic isn’t just a showcase for Grant. Beck and Woods’ script is sharply written and tackles ambitious themes—identity, control, free will, faith—all wrapped in a modern thriller with a horror twist. It’s not your typical “madman vs. prey” setup; the stakes feel intellectual as much as they are physical, and the directors do a fine job blending the film’s weightier themes with moments of grindhouse-esque tension.

Visually, the film pulls you deeper into its unsettling atmosphere. With Chung-hoon Chung’s moody, immersive cinematography, the house itself transforms into a maze of shadows and claustrophobic spaces that reflect the characters’ psychological isolation. Thatcher and East deliver layered performances—Thatcher’s character, the more skeptical of the two, plays with subtlety, shifting between survival instincts and her own internal battle. East is equally compelling, embodying her character’s struggle perfectly as she confronts Grant’s moral manipulation.

There’s a lot to respect about Heretic. The actors handle the dialogue-heavy scenes with skill, making the tension feel almost tangible. It’s a film that leans on its cast, and Beck and Woods couldn’t have found three more capable leads to anchor the story.

For all its strengths, some of the film’s philosophical debates on faith and power feel overdrawn, and a few scenes push the religious tension to a near-exhausting degree. But Beck and Woods keep the pacing tight, steering clear of pitfalls that could have made Heretic feel too heavy-handed or unfocused.

So, should you see it? Sure. Heretic isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s a compelling thriller with sharp performances, memorable atmosphere, and more than enough suspense to keep you hooked. Watch it, then let me know what you think—there’s plenty to discuss.