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A24’s ‘Heretic’ First Reactions: Hugh Grant’s Villainous Turn Stuns Critics

We believe it’s safe to say that Hugh Grant has delivered his career-best performance in A24’s Heretic, an upcoming horror thriller from directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, also starring Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, and Topher Grace. The film currently holds a ‘fresh’ critic score of 93% based on 60 certified reviews. The globally renowned English actor has delivered some of his best work in the last decade, in films like Florence Foster Jenkins (88%), Paddington 2 (99%), The Gentlemen (75%), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (91%), and Wonka (82%).

Heretic, written by Beck and Woods (A Quiet Place), follows two young Mormon missionaries, East and Thatcher, as they try to convert people in a small town. Thatcher’s character, Sr. Barns, sees decent success, while East’s Sr. Paxton struggles to gain converts. The pair decides to impress Mr. Reed (Grant), who invites them to his home for pie and a chat—but they don’t get any pie!

Early reactions to Heretic are highly positive, with much of the praise directed at Grant’s compelling villainous turn. Beck and Woods’ direction has also received acclaim; however, some critics have pointed out the film’s slow pacing and overly talkative tone.

Doctor Strange and The Black Phone scribe C. Robert Cargill has nothing except praises for Heretic, calling the film “a masterpiece of modern horror” in his latest tweet.

Discussing Film has hailed the latest Hugh Grant starrer as one of the most unique horror flicks of 2024.

The Irish Times, in its 4 out of 5-star review, also singled out Grant’s terrific performance.

Jeff Conway from Forbes has declared Heretic one of the best movies of 2024.

Courtney Howard from Variety called the film “deliciously twisted”, directing praise towards the leading man’s performance and the directors’ ability to craft Hitchcockian levels of suspense and smarts.

Heretic is undoubtedly set to emerge as another A24 masterpiece for 2024. It will be released in the U.S. on November 15 and in the U.K. on November 22. Stay tuned for more updates.

Binged Bureau: