Summary
The first trailer forHeretichas been released.Hereticis an upcomingA24 horrormovie co-directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and is about two young religious women who end up drawn into a game of cat and mouse by a devious man. The film starsa leading cast of Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East,and is set for release on November 15.
Now,A24has released atrailer forHeretic.
The trailer begins with Thatcher and East’s characters attempting to proselytize their Christian faith by asking people if they are interested in hearing more about the church of Jesus Christ. Going door-to-door, they eventually happen upon the secluded house of a man (Grant). Agreeing to be let in only after Grant’s character claims his wife is also home, they speak jovially about religion with Grant. They continue their conversation until the fateful moment in which one of them realizes that they have been locked in the house.
Why Heretic Will Be The A24 Horror Film to Watch Out For This Year
Grant Has Transitioned Into Taking On Different Kinds Of Roles
TheHeretictrailer does an excellent job of blending the themes of religion with the horror present in the plot.In the first half of the trailer, the film feels as unsuspectingas the naive protagonists, who are overjoyed that someone will listen to their religious spiel. It is only when one of the leads realizes that something is wrong — seeing a blueberry pie candle after Grant’s character had insisted his wife was in the kitchen baking pie — that the scene shifts to something darker. IfHereticstays as in-POV as the trailer, it will make for an interesting psychological horror.
If theHeretictrailer is an indication, Grant navigates this shift successfully, making for an enticing A24 movie to watch out for.
Religiously-themed psychological horror is a subgenre that A24 has had huge successwith as a distributor. 2015’sThe Witch, which takes place in highly religious Puritan times, put director Robert Eggers, who is now a frequent A24 collaborator, on the map. So too did thewell-reviewed filmSaint Maud, a stellar debut from Rose Glass, whose success with the film was the bridge to her higher-budget A24 featureLove Lies Bleeding. WithHeretic, A24 has the potential to further carve out its niche in this subgenre.
One thingHeretichas going for it is that it will show theA24 debut of Grant. Akin to something like the horror movieGreen Room, which saw Patrick Stewart transform into anA24 villain,Hereticwill take a beloved actor and put him outside his typical genre. If theHeretictrailer is an indication, Grant navigates this shift successfully, making for an enticing A24 movie to watch out for.
Heretic
Cast
Heretic, released in 2024, follows two young missionaries who must navigate a perilous test of faith when they encounter the sinister Mr. Reed after knocking on the wrong door, leading to a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.
