‘Heretical’ review: Hugh Grant turns religious debate into fearmongering

“The Heretic” begins with an unusual table setting: two young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discusses condoms and why some are labeled large when all are pretty much standard size. “What else are we led to believe by marketing?” one asks the other.

This line will echo through the film, a stimulating discussion about religion that emerges from the wrapper of a horror film. Despite slipping in the second half and feeling unbalanced, this is the rare film that combines plenty of gore with a sublime discussion of the ancient Egyptian god Horus.

Two members of our church – fiercely played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East – are wandering around trying to hide their souls when they knock on the door of a charming cottage. Its owner, Mr. Reid, warmly greets “Good day!” He welcomes them, brings them drinks and promises blueberry pie. He is also interested in learning more about the church. So far so good.

Mr. Reed, of course, if you’ve seen the poster, is a villain, and he’s played Hugh Grantwho doesn’t go the way of the snarling, dead-eyed Hannibal Lecter in The Heretic. Grant is the slightly awkward, shy and mocking character we fell in love with in Four Weddings and a Funeral, but with a hint of menace. Little by little, he discovers that he actually knows quite a bit about the Mormon religion—and about all religions.

“It’s good to be religious,” he says cheerfully, and promises that his wife will soon join them, a requirement for the church. Homely touches in his home include a “Bless This Mess” frame on the wall, but there are also quirks such as lights on timers and metal in the walls and ceiling.

Writers and directors Scott Beck and Brian Wood, who also worked together “Quiet Place” — prepared us perfectly for an unexpected theological discussion here. Mr. Reid is like a serious professor of comparative religion pitted against two naïve missionaries armed with talk that hides their own doubts.

Mr. Reed knows exactly where the weak points are, and sticks a philosophical knife. “How do you deal with uncomfortable questions?” he asks before talking about the church’s stance on polygamy. “Yeah, it’s a sketch, I guess,” Sister Ista Paxton finally admits. Soon the debate turns on which religions sell better. Mr. Reed eventually encountered a couple of Mormonism’s walking and talking advertisements.

The Heretic is so beautifully constructed and executed in the first half that you won’t even notice when it turns into a horror movie. You may be one step ahead of the missionaries, but not by much. Mr. Reid alternates between creepy and funny, knowing Spider-Man and Voltaire, Radiohead and the Hollies, Wendy’s and Taco Bell. Grant made great use of his natural charm.

Mr. Reid has his own grand theory about religion, and you will find it out. And there may or may not be some creepy stuff in his basement. “It’s all terrible. It’s scary. I’m scared,” he says charmingly, but he’s referring to organized religions. You’ll find him to be an utterly terrifying, fanatical heretic in sheep’s clothing who can do a cute Jar Jar Binks impersonation from the Star Wars universe.

Beck and Wood took this exciting premise so far that it became a deadpan play. Halfway through, an audience that has come to be horrified — not for a lecture on religious marketing — is hungry for blood, and blood it will get. The plot at the end is a murky, confusing and disturbing mess, a combination of too many ideas and no clear ending.

Grant, in his cozy cardigan and candles, makes the film attractive, but there’s great work by Thatcher and East, who try not to look scared even when they are. And they’re not just sly targets — they’re criticizing Mr. Reid’s beliefs through chattering teeth.

The producers added a little marketing twist to The Heretic by adding blueberry pie flavor along with blood to some screenings. Don’t get distracted. Follow Hugh Grant and just pray.

“The Heretic,” A24’s release in theaters Friday, is rated R for “gory violence.” Running time: 110 minutes. Three stars out of four.