Heretic is already one of the highest rated horror movies of the year, based on its stellar 96% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score. With over 90 reviews counted as of this writing, critics have praised star Hugh Grant’s performance and the way directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods approached the storytelling. The average rating for the aggregated reviews is 7.7/10, with some fluctuation possible in the coming days
The horror genre has seen its fair share of critical darlings in 2024, and Heretic is poised to be one of the most notable titles. Its current Rotten Tomatoes score would have it tied for second place on the site’s ranking of the top 50 horror movies of the year; Oddity also has a 96%. The only horror movie to fare better with critics this year so far is Late Night With the Devil, which earned a 97%. If the scores hold where they are, Infested and In Flames would round out the top five.
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Heretic follows Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), two Mormon missionaries who visit the home of Mr. Reed (Grant) in an attempt to recruit him to their church. What happens afterward becomes a demented test of faith, with Reed putting the young women through a trying ordeal before they can leave his house. Ahead of its release, Heretic has garnered attention for what looks to be an unsettling turn from Grant. His character was inspired by some horrific real life figures, including Jim Jones, Keith Raniere, and Christopher Hitchens. The film will be released in theaters this Friday, November 8.
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Distributor A24 has been steadily building buzz for Heretic throughout the year, releasing the first trailer back in June. While the studio has backed films in a variety of genres (including multiple Best Picture nominees), A24 has carved out a nice niche for itself in the horror realm. The Lighthouse, Hereditary, and Midsommar are just a few of their horror movies that earned a passionate following among cinephiles. A24’s involvement with Heretic meant audiences had high hopes for the film, banking on the studio’s pedigree.
For co-directors Beck and Woods, Heretic is a nice bounceback. The pair’s previous directorial effort was last year’s 65, the sci-fi thriller starring Adam Driver as a pilot who crash lands on a prehistoric Earth and has to deal with dinosaurs. Despite boasting an intriguing premise and an A-list actor, 65 failed to impress critics and didn’t make much of an impact at the box office. In fact, Heretic is Beck and Woods’ highest rated feature since 2018’s A Quiet Place, which they co-wrote alongside director John Krasinski. Beck and Woods arguably struggled to replicate the success of A Quiet Place in the years after; their other works were Haunt and The Boogeyman, which both received generally positive reviews but not widespread acclaim.
Heretic generating such an enthusiastic response bodes well for its box office prospects. While Halloween is over, horror typically draws crowds any time of year — especially when word-of-mouth is this strong. Smile 2 is a holdover targeting a similar demographic, but that’s been in theaters for a few weeks now, meaning Heretic shouldn’t face too much competition. It’s the weekend’s highest-profile new release, and there will likely be a lot of interest in seeing Grant — famous for his many charming rom-coms — play a horror movie villain.
