HereticReview: Hugh Grant, in a Startling Change of Pace, Makes a Brilliant Baddie

Mar. 15, 2025

Grant as a sadistic killer with a weird religious bent,.Photo:A24

A24

Everyone, kindly welcomeHugh Grantto the Latter-Day Thespians’ Horror Society: He joins fellow newcomerDemi Moore, who recently became a member thanks to her performance as an aging actress reduced to arepulsive puddle of goo inThe Substance.The fact that Grant makes a splendid serial killer, as he does here, shouldn’t be a shock: He’s a much deeper, more versatile actor than audiences may realize or remember: You have the romantic charmer ofNotting Hill,of course, and the preposterously vain actor inPaddington 2,but there’s also the closeted young man who suffers a nervous collapse inMauriceand the murderous politician inA Very English Scandal.He can be twittery, adorable, snotty, cruel, troubled and very funny.Hereticleaves out the “adorable” but keeps everything else. It also adds fire, brimstone and madness. Grant could be the father Anthony Perkins never had inPsycho.So: Mr. Reed (Grant) has invited two young missionaries, Sister Paxton(The Fabelmans’Chloe East) and Sister Barnes(Yellowjackets’Sophie Thatcher), to visit him at his home and discuss their faith.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.They’re thrilled at the prospect of meeting someone so open to an exchange of views — is he ever! — but they grow anxious as they’re left alone with this vexingly garrulous man, who keeps reassuring them that his wife is in the kitchen, just about done baking an aromatic blueberry pie.But, of course, there is no Mrs. Reed, only a diabolical bait and switch. Mr. Reed bolts the doors, traps the young women, then offers them an escape hatch that will challenge their faith — and, perhaps, resolve his own religious speculations. This test turns out to be a highly unpleasant one. It makes theInquisitionlook like a spa day.Grant talks about God with Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East—but he’s a demon.A24/YouTubeBut the missionaries prove to be strong-willed. Perhaps they know that the greatest temptation is despair — not to mention that your surest way to combat evil is to conceal ready-made weapons on your person.In the last third or so the movie sinks down into something murky, nasty and exploitative. And in the end, Mr. Reed’s wickedness isn’t given the metaphysical dimension that would makeHereticnot just scary but unsettling. (For that, you might want to check outThe Vanishing, a 1988 Dutch film that Stanley Kubrick described — with good reason — as one of the scariest movies he’d ever seen.)Still, there are worse sins in a horror movie than sloppiness.Hereticis in theaters Nov. 8.

Everyone, kindly welcomeHugh Grantto the Latter-Day Thespians’ Horror Society: He joins fellow newcomerDemi Moore, who recently became a member thanks to her performance as an aging actress reduced to arepulsive puddle of goo inThe Substance.

The fact that Grant makes a splendid serial killer, as he does here, shouldn’t be a shock: He’s a much deeper, more versatile actor than audiences may realize or remember: You have the romantic charmer ofNotting Hill,of course, and the preposterously vain actor inPaddington 2,but there’s also the closeted young man who suffers a nervous collapse inMauriceand the murderous politician inA Very English Scandal.

He can be twittery, adorable, snotty, cruel, troubled and very funny.Hereticleaves out the “adorable” but keeps everything else. It also adds fire, brimstone and madness. Grant could be the father Anthony Perkins never had inPsycho.

So: Mr. Reed (Grant) has invited two young missionaries, Sister Paxton(The Fabelmans’Chloe East) and Sister Barnes(Yellowjackets’Sophie Thatcher), to visit him at his home and discuss their faith.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

They’re thrilled at the prospect of meeting someone so open to an exchange of views — is he ever! — but they grow anxious as they’re left alone with this vexingly garrulous man, who keeps reassuring them that his wife is in the kitchen, just about done baking an aromatic blueberry pie.

But, of course, there is no Mrs. Reed, only a diabolical bait and switch. Mr. Reed bolts the doors, traps the young women, then offers them an escape hatch that will challenge their faith — and, perhaps, resolve his own religious speculations. This test turns out to be a highly unpleasant one. It makes theInquisitionlook like a spa day.

Grant talks about God with Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East—but he’s a demon.A24/YouTube

A24/YouTube

But the missionaries prove to be strong-willed. Perhaps they know that the greatest temptation is despair — not to mention that your surest way to combat evil is to conceal ready-made weapons on your person.

In the last third or so the movie sinks down into something murky, nasty and exploitative. And in the end, Mr. Reed’s wickedness isn’t given the metaphysical dimension that would makeHereticnot just scary but unsettling. (For that, you might want to check outThe Vanishing, a 1988 Dutch film that Stanley Kubrick described — with good reason — as one of the scariest movies he’d ever seen.)Still, there are worse sins in a horror movie than sloppiness.

Hereticis in theaters Nov. 8.

source: people.com