Hugh Grant’s Heretic questions a lot of things that many people call sacred

Hugh Grant will be seen in the highly anticipated psychological horror thriller film Heretic, written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods – of A Quiet Place fame. Grant stars as Mr. Reed, alongside Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, respectively. Their seemingly routine day of door-to-door preaching takes a chilling turn when they knock on the wrong door, plunging them into an intense psychological struggle that unravels over a single harrowing night, challenging the very foundations of their faith. Heretic delivers a nail-biting narrative and stellar performances, posing a deeply unsettling question: What if the gates of hell are woven into our own beliefs?

Hugh Grant takes on a haunting new role, bringing his characteristic charm to a disturbingly complex Mr. Reed. This character, a departure from Grant’s usual roles, is a captivating intellectual armed with theories on religion, philosophy, and the nature of life and death. Reflecting on the film, Grant shares, “I found Heretic to be daring, not just because it questions a lot of things that many people hold sacred, but for the fact that it’s set in one house over the course of one long night and features a lot of talking — hardly normal practice for a horror film.” 

Shedding some light on the film’s core themes, producer Stacy Sher reveals, “Heretic is about faith, self-determination, belief, caution, friendship, curiosity, and our innate desire as human beings to solve the great mysteries of our existence.” Sher further opens up about Hugh Grant’s ideal casting as Mr. Reed, adding, “What makes Hugh so perfect for the role of Reed is that it’s unlike anything we’ve seen him do before, yet he’s using all the familiar techniques we love in Hugh Grant and turning them on their head.”