REVIEW #417 Heretic (2024)

SYNOPSIS

Two young missionaries find themselves trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the twister Mr Reed who will put their faith to the test.

REVIEW

Heretic thrives using the talents of the three lead actors, each role crucial in creating an incredibly uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience. The first act in particular was outstanding in this regard, prior to any truly sinister incidents, it was pure build up, but a perfect example of how to have a direct impact on its viewers, without the gore, without the jump scares, but simple psychological warfare between the key characters. It’s an older, intelligent man vs two young, often naive missionaries but it’s also a battle of faith and that three dimensional approach causes you to engage your brain in the exchange of information, which actually contributed to that sense of discomfort too! I do believe that as the film progressed the movie lost its momentum and utilised its strengths less and less and although I was certainly still firmly invested, emotional impact wasn’t quite hitting the same. Nonetheless, there’s still a lot to enjoy and it feels like a very positive addition to the genre. Not to mention Hugh Grant is absolutely brilliant as the diabolical antagonist.

Overall (7.5/10)

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Film Review Club