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I was disarmed by Hugh Grant’s chilling charm in unusual horror Heretic 


Hugh Grant holds a box and smiles as Mr Reed, wearing a patterned knitted cardigan, in Heretic

Heretic is Hugh Grant’s hard launch into horror as Mr Reed (Picture: A24)

Hugh Grant’s horror reinvention is finally here with the release of Heretic, a psychological thriller that ruminates more on the complex aspects of religion than most fright flicks.

For those unconvinced by the movie’s horror pedigree from its tense but ungory trailer, rest assured that the film’s third act involves mutilation, death and creepy revelations about villain Mr Reed’s maze-like house. It’s just a refreshing take on the genre unlike most others.

And while Heretic is an intriguing prospect with its approach to debate and engaging Mr Reed (Grant) in a confined cat-and-mouse chase with two Mormon missionaries, it does have a few stumbling points for me.

However, the headline inclusion of Grant’s Mr Reed is what fans are most attracted by – and the British star delivers yet another bravura performance in a career now less and less defined by his bumbling rom-com persona from the 90s.

Interestingly though, it’s not a complete departure from that in the way that his performance was in, say, Cloud Atlas (the movie that inspired Heretic’s filmmakers to cast him) or as a grumpy Oompa Loompa in Wonka. Grant as Mr Reed is still blinky, British and a little awkwardly charming – that’s how Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) are first lured into his home.

He deliberately disarms them with his chatter and openness, despite a passing reference to metal in the walls and ceilings when they enter – a first red flag for me in immediately thinking that it’s offputtingly weird and will also impact on mobile reception… But it passes without comment.

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The film has Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) visit the creepy Mr Reed in the hopes he’ll join their church (Picture: Kimberley French)

Sister Paxton, earnest and bubbly, is keen to get her first baptism into the church and hopes Mr Reed will be the right candidate, while Sister Barnes – cooler and more reserved, with her background shrouded in mystery – is there to support.

What Heretic does very well is offer a more modern take on Mormonism for cinemagoers who may be unversed. Yes, the two young women are passionate about their religion, but they are also aware of the stereotypes surrounding them, with references to their ‘magic underwear’ as well as a brief discussion of the famously raucous and profane stage musical, The Book of Mormon.

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The movie also disarms the viewer almost instantly by opening with the two having a pretty frank – and very funny – conversation about condoms and porn. With Sister Paxton’s nervous titters around ‘elephant trunks’ and use of the verb ‘sexing’, it’s also a clear way of showing …read more

Source:: Metro

      

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