If you have, you’ll find that “Heretic” feels scarily similar, just minus the gore. 

“Heretic” is the story of Sister Barnes, played by Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”), and Sister Paxton, played by Chloe East (“The Fablemans”) trapped by Mr. Reed, played by Hugh Grant (“Wonka”), who forces them to make a deadly choice: Do you truly believe in religion? 

The film is directed and produced by the duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the team behind the screenplays for a few recent horror/sci-fi movies such as “A Quiet Place,” “65” and “The Boogeyman.” 

If you love psychological horror with lots of suspense, you will be satisfied with this movie. There are plenty of tense scenes with a fair amount of gore to satisfy a horror fan. 

However, if you’re looking for the next “Hereditary” or “Midsommar,” you might not be looking in the right place. 

While the movie is advertised as a surreal escape movie, that’s not necessarily what you’ll get. This movie does not employ Christopher Nolan-level surreal cinematography, but you will feel like your perception is off. Many of the shots enhance the suspense and make you feel as trapped as the characters do. The sets employ a sort of escape room or haunted house feel, but are limited in their number.

What the movie advertises, and ultimately delivers on, is the theology discussions. A large part of the movie is spent discussing why we believe in religion in a way that will be digestible to a wide audience. The use of analogies is especially effective, while a bit silly, and makes you think about Monopoly differently.  

Hugh Grant is as charming as he was in “Notting Hill,” now trying his hand with his first foray into the horror genre. This movie uses his charm and the familiar twinges from previous films, mainly his smile, and twists them into something unlike what you might have seen from him before, a monster and a theologist. 

Both main female leads carry the film as vessels in which you can place yourself. While their backstories are hinted at, they are kept in the shadows, to the detriment of the plot. Since we only get a taste of their lives and what they want to achieve in life, it’s a bit difficult to establish a strong personal connection with them. 

The actresses' performances feel very real though, Sophie Thatcher’s facial expressions are especially on point, as they are restrained, but distorted. It is reminiscent of Mia Goth’s facial expressions at the end of “Pearl.” Chloe East is a believable “innocent” Mormon, who subverts the annoyingly loyal Mormon stereotype into a character who is easy to digest on screen. 

This movie is unlike others that I have seen come out this year because it jumps from genre to genre very easily. A comedy horror, to a suspenseful kidnapping, to an escape room horror, all with implications of a true crime story bubbling beneath the surface. This proves to be a flaw within the movie, as none of those dips into genres last necessarily a long time. However, there is still the overarching theme of theology throughout.  

“Heretic” is just about as solid as an A24 horror movie can get. The film will make you think and it’ll sure scare you, just don’t go into it expecting a modern masterpiece.