Heretic: Religious Horror Brilliance or Atheist Lecture?
By Emma Kane
To believe or not to believe?
Throughout the last decade the film industry has seen a mass influx surrounding the not-so-niche subgenre of religious horror, with films like Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019) solidifying the authenticity of the genre that lifeless sequels- such as the seventh instalment of The Exorcist (1973)- have made an eye-rolling mockery of for decades. Beck and Wood’s latest collaboration Heretic which is quickly gaining a cult-like following amongst horror fans- can be viewed as an unconventional, fresh take on the stereotypical religious aesthetic we’re used to seeing in film, following a formula of sexy nuns, sexy priests, and creepy children sprinkled sporadically throughout the plot just because.
‘Heretic’ follows the story of two Mormon missionary women – Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) – who fall victim to a sinister cat-and-mouse game at the hands of soft-spoken but chilling Mr Reed (Hugh Grant). While the film’s plot offers a unique insight into the dark world of organised religion and its use as a weapon of control, some may see the film as atheist propaganda; an attempt at making those who follow organised religions seem intellectually switched-off, with Grant’s character being somewhat of a spiritual guide, showing the girls ‘the truth’ about both their own religion, and religion as a whole.
From the beginning, Reed’s questioning and degradation of religious organisations tamper with both Paxton and Barnes’ moral and religious views, and the audiences’ own beliefs. As the plot unfolds, the audience is kept wondering whether Reed is to be trusted, whether the girls will escape or if some divine intervention will save them from their fate. The analogy Reed uses of different organised religions being the same ‘updated’ versions of each other – playing The Hollies’ – The Air That I Breathe and Radiohead’s – Creep – is one that left my head titled and scrambled for days as someone who studies A-Level Religion and quite literally lives and breathes it daily. The choice whether to have faith (to believe or not to believe) that the girls will survive is tested consistently and makes for an exciting, nail-biting experience and quite honestly left me considering burning my local chapel afterwards.
While it has been critiqued for its defamation of major religions such as Christianity and Mormonism (oh the horror!), I don’t believe conclusive message of the film. While the film actively encourages those to seek free-will and individualism, I disagree with those critics who deem the film unsuitable for religious individuals. Yes, Grant’s character is symbolic of how organised religion can trap you and make you submit to their idea of the ‘truth’, but should Christians or Mormons be turned off from or even offended at the idea of a film challenging religion? No. I believe it was Beck and Woods’ goal to challenge the man-made concepts that have risen from the history of religious organisations; bibles, chapels, indulgences, even chastity and abstinence, not the idea of a God or a right religion.
Watching the film for the third time around still personally provokes feelings of conflict between belief and reality, the conflicts between Reed and Paxton specifically unfold like an intense tennis match, counteractively bouncing every belief off each other. The film’s modern take on the organised religion vs secularism debate is not only relatable and realistic but brings an organic presence to the subgenre of religious horror that doesn’t constantly revolve around Catholics being possessed in French chapels, a stereotype that got old very fast.
