--- title: "Heretic: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/heretic/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/heretic" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Heretic (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 17 reviews: 14 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Nearly every review starts with Hugh Grant, and most end there too: the consensus is that his turn as Mr Reed, the genial host who becomes a tormentor, is the reason to see the film, with his familiar charm turned to menace. Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East draw steady praise as the missionaries, and several critics single out the dialogue and the tension of the first hour. The reservations cluster around what follows. Most reviewers find the second half more conventional, trading argument for standard scares, and a good number think the film’s ideas about faith are thinner than its talk suggests. The spread is fairly narrow, with most landing at four stars or thereabouts. The dissent is sharper than it is wide: Screen Daily finds it handsomely made but empty, and the Evening Standard finds it tedious and unscary, with Grant let down by the material. The Telegraph enjoys the first hour but thinks the ending loses its nerve. ## The AV Club Rating B+. 1 October 2024. The terrifically tense thriller is powered by Hugh Grant's showman-like villain performance that subverts expectations. It features inventive storytelling and strong central turns but may divide viewers with its third-act choices and pacing. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/heretic-review) ## Little White Lies — Leila Latif Rating 4/4/4. 28 October 2024. Hugh Grant is a horror natural in this effective psychological horror about two Mormon missionaries who encounter more than they bargained for. The film is ingenious in its casting and inventive theological torment, though the final act leans into more prototypical horror. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/heretic) ## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall Rating 4/5. This creepy, slow-burning horror thriller puts the faith of young Mormon missionaries to the test in a cat-and-mouse chamber piece. Grant is a revelation shifting from genial to frightening, matched by the strong performances of the leads. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-7opsoi/heretic/) ## Time Out — Olly Richards Rating 4/5. 28 October 2024. Hugh Grant is inspired casting as the unsettling villain in this spooky house chiller that mixes jump scares with intelligent questions. The directors find their feet with a tremendously enjoyable horror that twists Grant's charm into something distinctly unsettling. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/heretic-review-2024) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2024. Grant's riveting, poisoned-charm turn as the eerie Mr. Reed is the film's standout, elevating the three-hander horror. The film leverages his persona effectively in a story of faith-testing captivity and moral darkness. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/heretic-hugh-grant-was-born-to-play-the-villain.html) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating B. 9 September 2024. Festival review. Hugh Grant delivers a heavenly, riveting turn as the sinister host in this verbose A24 chamber horror. The film has tense and funny moments testing faith but remains too polite for true sacrilege or deeper provocation. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/heretic-movie-review-hugh-grant-1235045862/) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 21 September 2024. Festival review. The film is a gimmicky, zeitgeist-surfing theological horror in which Hugh Grant entraps two Mormon missionaries for a life-or-death religious debate. The setup has a genuine tingle and strong performances, but it shifts into unconvincing Grand Guignol and plot gimmicks. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/heretic-hugh-grant-uses-his-charming-persona-draw-blood-this-creepy-theological-horror) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2024. Festival review. Hugh Grant plays a verbose tormentor in this elegant but ultimately empty horror-thriller about two missionaries trapped in a house for a debate on faith. The premise is simple and performances strong, but the ideas are not particularly stimulating and the film fails to fully enrapture or horrify. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/heretic-toronto-review/5197009.article) ## Evening Standard — Nick Howells Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2024. The critic finds the film tedious and unscary, a hackneyed horror with religion-bashing lectures that fail to deliver. Grant's performance is decent but undermined by the weak material and direction. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/heretic-review-not-hugh-grant-oscar-moment-b1191019.html) ## Empire — James Dyer 31 October 2024. The critic praises the film's tense, intellectual bottle horror and Hugh Grant's chilling turn as the lead antagonist. It highlights the strong performances, meticulous dialogue, and social politeness weaponized for suspense, though the second half loses some edge. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/heretic/) ## Financial Times — Danny Leigh Rating ★★★☆☆. 31 October 2024. The critic describes the film as a likeably offbeat and mischievous showcase for Grant upending his typecasting with grandstanding monologues. It notes giggles amid the peril but finds the second half duller and more generic once the sisters go to the basement. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/587ef8f1-4130-46f5-b322-447dfa12952c) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh 7 November 2024. The critic calls it a deftly acted chamber piece that weaponizes Hugh Grant's familiar charm into menace while giving the young missionary characters intelligence and agency. She praises the strong performances and dialogue but notes some predictable horror tropes and plot mechanics. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-11-07/heretic-review-hugh-grant-sophie-thatcher-chloe-east-a24-horror) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 31 October 2024. The critic praises Hugh Grant's dapper and mischievous performance as the villainous Mr Reed, which makes the film's gruesome and preposterous elements palatable. The review highlights the chamber-piece structure involving two Mormon missionaries drawn into a psychological game of terror. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/oct/31/heretic-review-religious-horror-with-a-suave-dapper-and-evil-hugh-grant) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Lovia Gyarkye 10 September 2024. Festival review. The critic highlights Hugh Grant's reptilian, persuasive performance as the villainous Mr. Reed in this religious horror chamber piece. The film excels in tense intellectual sparring and performances by the leads but falters with a shallow screenplay that avoids deeper critique of faith. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/heretic-review-hugh-grant-1235996470/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis 7 November 2024. The critic finds the film an engaging horror thriller in which Hugh Grant delivers a wily, vamping performance as a seemingly charming host who turns menacing. She singles out Grant's against-type turn and the film's effective build of suspense in an ordinary home turned slaughterhouse. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/07/movies/heretic-review-hugh-grant.html) ## The Telegraph — Tim Robey 31 October 2024. The critic finds Grant the best reason to see the film and wickedly enjoyable in his macabre role tormenting trapped missionaries with rhetorical hokum. The film is praised for its first hour but criticized for ending with a whimper due to risk aversion. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/heretic-review-hugh-grant/) ## The Times — Ed Potton Rating ★★★★☆. 29 October 2024. The critic notes Grant has completed his journey to psychopathic monster in this sophisticated religion-themed horror that blends tropes with intellectual sophistication. Grant's late-career evil phase is highlighted as the best element. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/heretic-film-review-hugh-grant-3d2k36pd6) ## Variety — Peter Debruge 16 September 2024. Festival review. The critic describes it as a talky, thought-provoking thriller that benefits greatly from Hugh Grant's chillingly against-type performance as a diabolical religious skeptic. He singles out Grant for making the film an entertaining ride but finds the ideas shallower than they first appear. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/heretic-review-hugh-grant-1236145209/) ## Deadline — Damon Wise Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2024. Festival review. The critic praises the film as a smart, subversive horror-thriller that mixes genre conventions with playful commentary on belief and religion. Hugh Grant's turn as the diabolical Mr. Reed is highlighted as a standout that dismantles his rom-com image. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2024/09/heretic-review-hugh-grant-scott-beck-bryan-woods-smart-horror-thriller-toronto-film-festival-1236083730/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4/5. 31 October 2024. The critic praises Hugh Grant's spellbinding performance as the menacing Mr. Reed, highlighting the film's intellectual debate on religion and belief. They note some third-act issues but overall call it a wicked entertainment that hooks the audience. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/heretic-review-hugh-grant-is-a-devil/) ## /Film — Jacob Hall Rating 8/10. 24 September 2024. Festival review. The critic calls it an excellent dialogue-driven religious thriller with sharp tension, smart protagonists, and standout performances, particularly Hugh Grant's menacing yet charming villain. It excels in its contained first half but becomes a more conventional crowd-pleaser later. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1671963/heretic-review-hugh-grant-a24-horror-movie/) ## NME — Lou Thomas Rating 4/5. 1 November 2024. The critic commends Hugh Grant's devilishly plausible and meticulous performance as the sadistic Mr. Reed, along with the convincing portrayals by East and Thatcher. They highlight the film's witty, fresh, and smart approach, calling it among the best horror films of the year. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/heretic-review-hugh-grant-horror-3807614) ## Consequence Rating B. 7 November 2024. Hugh Grant's charismatic yet menacing performance as Mr. Reed makes the film noteworthy as it explores religion through locked-house horror tropes. The nasty journey offers little catharsis and leaves viewers with diminished faith in humanity. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2024/11/heretic-review-hugh-grant/) ## The Playlist — Ankit Jhunjhunwala Rating B. 10 September 2024. Festival review. The critic finds the film a compelling drama of ideas about religion, cleverly disguised as a horror-thriller with strong performances from the three leads, especially Hugh Grant's charmingly creepy turn. It loses some intelligence when shifting to conventional scares and has a few predictable moments. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/heretic-review-hugh-grants-charming-creepiness-anchors-a24s-heady-chatty-horror-thriller-tiff-20240910/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2024. Festival review. The review calls the film a feast of comedy and horror that uses religion to explore Mr. Reed's madness through psychological techniques and intellectually stimulating dialogue. Hugh Grant is singled out for his charming yet dastardly performance as the demonic homeowner. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/heretic-review-hugh-grant-a24-horror/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2024. Festival review. The critic finds the film a clever twist on religious horror that prioritizes discussion of faith over scares, bolstered by strong performances especially Hugh Grant's villainous turn. The narrative loses steam in the final third. [Read the review](https://collider.com/heretic-movie-review/) ## Paste — Jesse Hassenger Rating 7.0. 6 November 2024. The performances by Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East elevate the film's winding dialogues and maze-like structure into an entertaining watch. Ultimately it feels like a clever but shallow screenwriter exercise that lacks deeper thematic resonance beyond its gimmicks. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/hugh-grant/heretic-hugh-grant-sophie-thatcher-chloe-east-horror-movie-review-2024) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/heretic.md