Belief in divine power has always been a controversial topic. Those that do believe often dedicate their lives to their faith, and those that do not often see religious organizations as an institutional means to maintain power and sway opinions. While this is not always the case for either of these sides, these are the general positions that come to a head in “Heretic.”  

Two practicing Mormons, played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, in their attempt to convert those interested in their faith, make a stop at the house of Mr. Reed, played by Hugh Grant, and wind up in his own conversion attempt.  

Grant’s character, though presenting a kind demeanor, slowly becomes alarming over the course of the visit. His supposed wife seems too shy to show herself, despite his assurance that there would be a woman present, and his understanding of the Mormon religion often trumps that of his visitors.  

As the film continues it becomes clear that he has not been completely honest with them and instead seeks to put their own faith to the test while also claiming to have found the “one true religion.”  

The film does an excellent job building the tension around what Mr. Reed’s intentions truly are. Even when the two believers know something is not right, he keeps a calm and collected demeanor that heightens the tension and creates some good laughs.  

The film is primarily confined to one location but manages to keep the audience engaged through suspense and incredible performances. Grant in particular plays this part excellently, as he brings the perfect amount of both charisma and menace. 

The two visitors, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, are performed well by Thatcher and East respectively; however, their characters weren’t given the same amount of care in the script as Grant’s.  

They juxtapose each other nicely, with Barnes being converted herself and still navigating her belief, and Paxton being born into the religion and eagerly ready to make her first convert. These differences unfortunately do not play too much into their actions later in the film.  

Instead, as the film progresses, its focus wanes and the pacing picks up speed. It quickly turns away from the high tension that it was building in the first half, and although it still rides off the goodwill built up from that, it never returns to the same quality and depth that was present in the first half.  

What was a deeper test of wills between believers and a nonbeliever quickly divulges into messy thought experiments and horror cliches.  

Fortunately, the film does not fully go off the rails and still manages to land on some takeaway from the entire experience; however, with a debate as timeless and grand as this one, it picks the safest route.  

Ultimately, the film is a lot of fun and worth the watch for the first half alone, but the ending does leave a bad taste, as it chooses to fall into clichés and play it safe rather than take advantage of the characters and built-up tension to make a more focused message.  

“Heretic” is now playing in theaters.