Heretic

What could be even more frightful than having to submit oneself into the will of a God, the very notion of a God and a corresponding control is non-existent. This dichotomy of human life is portrayed well through Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’s completely engrossing “Heretic”, which is a thriller identifying the fear of an extreme belief.

Since time immemorial and in standby mode, there have been some hundred fetishistic religious horror movies based on the very themes of righteous bloodshed; and yet this film is not so much with blood as it is about the very knowing game of sociological perception, the game of narrative, and more so the power back behind that narrative.

The historical developments of humanity were defined by numerous versions of the same core events distilled into more or less different religions. And it is all viewed through a glorious tension, which makes a genre film that is visceral in nature and cerebral. This is aimed at creating a sense of urgency in action as well as in thought, which is too scarce in sub-genre cinema. The style in which the film is presented is elegant and the acting is impressive.

As it is somewhat to be expected in a film dealing with the differences in creed, any loss of energy is charged against the last portion which provides resolution to some of the questions raised during the course of the film which loses the effect of dynamicism that is still a good film and A24 will do good by it.

Two young missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints seek answers to several questions posed to them by Mr Reed portrayed by Hugh Grant- Sister Barnes portrayed by Sophie Thatcher and Sister Paxton portrayed by Chloe East. However, they first observe their rule and do not go into Mr. Reed’s residence until a woman is present, which he claims is not an issue because his wife is in the kitchen preparing a pie.

They even can smell the blueberries being cooked somewhere inside the house. They follow him in and engage in a debate with Reed about religion but he flips it almost straight away and interviews the two girls about faith instead. After all, isn’t it believed that there is always a higher being, just as if his wife was in the other room working in the kitchen because they have been told so.

Without giving too much away, it can be said that Mr. Reed has other uses for Sisters Barnes and Paxton, and he means to put them through a gauntlet of ever more punishing challenges. The first half of the picture is beautifully sustained with tautness the young women attempting to balance their vocation and growing apprehension.

How much longer can they negotiate their way out of a situation which is becoming even more dangerous? Besides, is there a correct answer to the questions posed by Mr. Reed? The screenplay written by Beck and Woods is an interesting combination of religion and psychopath. It’s the “Saw” franchise goes into the “Silence” territory.

And Grant is living his dream while doing just that. Recently, he’s been quite enthusiastic in darkening the character and this is his best performance in years. But Thatcher and special East are quite a contender to him.

The character of Paxton in her portrayal is by far the more naive of the two – fantasy prostitution in the sex-driven society for she is – the first word she utters was pornography in the opening dialogue of the film and that was character building.

That said, she is sure to keep the eagerness in coming across the savior’s character under wraps. For almost all of its running time this is pretty much a 3 hander, and it was bound to unravel with performers who did not grasp the concept as well as Thatcher, Grant and East did.

There are only four surviving copies of ‘Heretic, ’ and considering the fact that there are not many surviving Japanese films of that period anyway, filming such a movie is a big challenge. Congratulations to whoever got Chung-hoon Chung, the Asian who previously filmed ‘The Handmaiden,’ ‘Oldboy’ among others, to shoot ‘Heretic’.

His camera runs through this menacing house, looking down dark corridors and stairs in such a wonderful sense that the atmosphere of discomfort and suffocation is felt to such an extent that one forgets that it is just a set. His directors similarly appreciate the dramatic punch that certain closeup shots provide of sad, melted cheeks and even mean smiles.

The close-up style of filmmaking enchains the lead performers to the screen and that helps in the victory of the film. (There was so much for display in this camera work that honestly’s fuselage I would also have left for even more extreme use. This mad picture would have been really better by several more dutches but never mind.)

First off, considering that it has an abundance of dialogues for the first third of the film, then it is logical to state that there is a point of no return in ‘Heretic’ when some fanfare must take place, which erodes some of the basic strength this film has. This is not to say that there are other variants of such a picture which are totally useless but ‘Heretic’ never does that.

Once the curtain rises on some of the action related decisions made in the final act of the narrative, they seem, in hindsight, rather idiotic in some cases. But that’s not what I recollect as I remember that we were all as persecuted and hopeless as Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes.

“Heretic” does not unfold its true terror in violence – which is in its own right horrifying as we have seen – but rather in the meaning of the complex schemes devised by Reed. Why is it the truth has to be taken in and accepted? For no reason other than, somebody ordered it. Or, there is something else than the libraries full of books Reed claims to have read.

“Heretic” is a horror film that focuses on some of the most terrifying concepts that humanity has ever developed – including that there is no life after death and everything that one has oriented their life around has in fact been a fabrication.

And for that, it is not quite the sort of movie that vegetables you as a blind believer in whatever the religion. It reserves for you some of its more pertinent issues. For you are ready to tackle them, it is only if you wish to be that brave and bold.

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