Heretic

2024 A24

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 51min

Horror ~ Psychological Horror ~ Thriller

Starring: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East.

QUESTION EVERYTHING….

HERETIC MEANING:

A heretic is someone whose beliefs or actions contradict the established doctrines or principles of a particular religion, group, or institution. This term is often used in a religious context, particularly within Christianity, but can also apply to other areas where there are established systems of belief or practice.

In Christianity, a heretic is someone who holds religious beliefs that differ from the official teachings of their church, especially the Roman Catholic Church. While a heretic might also be a dissenter or nonconformist, the core idea is the contradiction of established doctrine or belief, rather than simply disagreeing.

Historically, and sometimes even today, being labeled a heretic has led to conflict, persecution, or even violence, as established authorities may view heresy as a threat.

SYNOPSIS:

Two young missionaries from the LDS Church, timid Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and confident Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher), arrive at the home of a reclusive middle-aged man, Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). He invites them in, assuring them that his wife is preparing a blueberry pie in the back of the house. They begin to discuss religion, and Sister Paxton playfully expresses a desire to visit others, after death, as a butterfly that appears on the hands of her loved ones. During the conversation, Reed makes several uncomfortable comments about their faith. When Reed steps out of the room, Barnes realizes that the smell of blueberry pie is from a candle, the front door is locked, and they have no phone signal.

THE REVIEW:

From the moment that the skies turn ominous, the rain starts and Mr. Reed opens the door, you sense it. It builds slowly as the two Sisters enter Mr. Reed’s house, a general sense of unease, of foreboding. As the two sisters sit in his living room, he assures them that his wife is baking a blueberry pie and will be out shortly to join them. Mr. Reed keeps disappearing into the other room and returning alone without his wife. The two sisters repeatedly tell Mr. Reed that as per Church rules they are not allowed to be alone with a man in his house, there must be another adult female present or they will have to leave. Sister Barnes turns around the candle that Mr. Reed had placed on the table and is dismayed to see that it is a Blueberry Pie scented candle.

Her mind quickly begins to sense trouble and rightly so. The two sisters start scheming and pretend they have a phone call from their Pastor and must return to the Church. Mr. Reed promptly informs them that they are lying because there is no cell service in his “metal” house. And a game of cat and mouse ensues as the two sisters desperately try to con their way into leaving as the kind and gentle Mr. Reed starts to appear a little more treacherous and deceiving. Using words and a conversation about Religion and Faith, and props like board games and different religious books like The Holy Bible and The Koran. Mr. Reed cons and tricks them step by step deeper into his house, into his wicked little game.

It is Hugh Grant as you’ve never seen him before. Dark, witty, evil, very smart and educated in the world of Religion. It is devilishly fun and very scary watching Hugh Grant turn from the nice Mr. Reed into the twisted demented Heretic who oversees a very wicked and evil game in his house. A game he has crafted and perfected over years of practice. The terror builds slowly until it is palpable and unescapable. It is terrifying, a true Horror movie that builds and builds until it strangles you with discomfort. It is thought provoking, and like a train wreck, you are sucked into it unable to look away.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is a good one, a truly psychologically terrifying Horror Movie. Hugh Grant is magnificently evil portraying a side we’ve never seen before. Bravo on that performance. Kudos to Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as well. I loved Sophie Thatcher in this as well as Companion and I am going to have to watch her debut in the 2018 Movie Prospect as well as 2023’s The Boogeyman, but Chloe East really shines in this. Going from the innocent naïve young Sister to the worldly very smart young woman matching wits and outsmarting the Devil himself was a beauty to behold.

Highly Recommended!

Two Thumbs Up!

Companion

Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre

2023 Lionsgate

Rated: R

Length: 1hr 54 min

Action ~ Comedy ~ Thriller

Directed by: Guy Ritchie

Starring: Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone and Hugh Grant.

“Our secure facility in Johannesburg was ambushed and some well guarded cargo is missing. I need you to retrieve it, find out who the seller is, who the buyer is and what it is. I need this to be an unorthodox mission, Ruse De Guerre, led by your main man Orson Fortune.”

Nathan Jasmine (Cary Elwes), a private spy contractor, is hired by the British Government to retrieve stolen merchandise known only as “The Handle”. He assembles a team led by his main spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham), Sarah Fidel (Aubrey Plaza), newly acquired from Nathan’s competition and JJ Davies(Bugzy Malone). The team flies to Madrid to intercept the courier carrying a hard drive with the data from “The Handle”.

They quickly realize that there is another contractor’s team led by Mike, Nathan’s competition in the spy business, after the same courier. They manage to get the drive and copy the contents, before Mike gets the hard drive from them, and discovers that the arms dealer Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant) has “The Handle” and plans to auction it off to the highest bidder.

Sarah is an expert hacker and digs up dirt on Greg Simmonds’ favorite actor, Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) and blackmails him into going to a fundraiser hosted by Greg aboard his yacht in Cannes France. Sarah poses as Danny’s girlfriend and Orson as his Manager in a ruse to get closer to Gregg to ascertain the whereabouts of “The Handle” and who the buyers are.

Which is where the action really starts. It is the same spy story plot of, bad guy stole the goods and unless we get it back the world is in peril, retrieve at whatever cost. There is lots of action, fighting, killing, guns, knives, missiles, car chases, helicopters and backstabbing amongst everyone trying to get their hands on “The Handle”. There is a lot of witty banter between Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza, Jason and Bugsy Malone, Josh Hartnett and Hugh Grant.

I really like Hugh Grant in this role, similar to his role in The Gentlemen, another Guy Ritchie Movie. Bugzy Malone was in that as well, have to re-watch that. It also reminds me of another guy Ritchie movie, The Man From U.N.C.L.E, another good spy caper film I really like. I like Aubrey Plaza in this, thought she and Jason had good chemistry. I’m not familiar with her but see that she is in Emily The Criminal. Have to watch that one tonight! And I am a big Jason Statham fan, he can’t hardly do any wrong as far as I am concerned.

Clichéd story but with a twist. I liked it.

Good Clean Fun, this one.

Two Thumbs Up!

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

2015 Warner Bros. Pictures

Rated: PG-13

Length: 1 hr 56min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Comedy ~ Spy

Directed By: Guy Ritchie

Starring: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, and Hugh Grant.

“So I have news….A fresh little unpleasantness has arisen…. but I’ve spoken to your superiors and now that we’re all such good friends, they’ve kindly agreed to let me keep the team together for awhile. Oh, and you have a new code name…..rather a good one…..U.N.C.L.E.”

United Network Command Law Enforcement

Henry Cavill stars as Napoleon Solo, an indentured Agent for the American C.I.A. at the height of the Cold War in 1963 tasked with crossing into Russian controlled East Berlin, Germany and extracting…….

Gaby Teller(Alicia Vikander), a female mechanic whose father Dr. Udo Teller worked for the Germans during War World II developing rocket technology. After the war he worked for the Americans until he suddenly disappeared. Now Napoleon needs to convince Gaby to escape with him into West Berlin to help find her Father before the Russians get to her. As they try to escape they are followed by…….

Illya Kuryakin(Armie Hammer), a Russian KGB Agent tasked with stopping Napoleon and extracting Gaby for the Russians. A car chase ensues with Illya hot on their tale but Napoleon and Gaby manage to escape over the wall into East Berlin.

The next day the Russians and the Americans decide to team up together to stop Alexander(Luca Calvani) and Victoria Vinciguerra(Elizabeth Debicki), Nazi sympathizers who have kidnapped Dr. Udo Teller to build a nuclear bomb for them. So Napoleon Solo, Illya Kuryakin and Gaby Teller (who is secretly working for the British MI6) set out on a mission to stop the evil villainous Victoria managed by Alexander Waverly(Hugh Grant).

I remember watching the TV Series as a kid and being a big fan. This is an excellent adaptation of the TV series. I love the chemistry between Illya, Napoleon and Gaby. Especially Illya and Gaby. In a scene in the hotel room Gaby decides to get drunk on Vodka and have some fun. She puts on her sunglasses, cranks the radio and starts dancing to entice Illya to join her, the chemistry between them is unmistakable. One of my favorite scenes.

This is an excellent Spy Caper, thoroughly enjoyable, good clean fun!

I’ve seen it several times, one of my favorites!

Highly Recommended!

Two Thumbs Up!

Where’s the sequel?

I just did a quick search and there are rumors of a possible sequel but nothing concrete yet…Let’s keep our fingers crossed!