One of A24’s most popular horror releases last year will be coming to Max very soon. ‘Heretic,’ directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, will debut exclusively on the streaming service on March 7 and on HBO linear on Saturday, March 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET. The movie initially premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024 before receiving a wide release in November. Much of the film is carried by the philosophical musings of Hugh Grant‘s character, Mr. Reed, who puts two missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), to the ultimate test, centered around their faith and the nature of belief.
Max received a very impressive upgrade in December 2023, when the streamer landed a multiyear deal with A24 to be the production company’s dedicated digital home for its vast library of titles. Before this agreement, most of A24’s latest movies could be found on Showtime, which is one of the biggest competitors of Max and HBO in general. This latest deal made two years ago seems to be paying off, as A24 had a very impressive year with hits like ‘Heretic,’ ‘Civil War,’ ‘A Different Man,’ and ‘We Live in Time,’ all of which can now be viewed on Max or HBO if you have a cable subscription.
‘Heretic’ manages to do so much with so little, taking its original setting and a small cast of three characters to create an enthralling, terrifying, and profound film that will leave viewers thinking long after the credits have rolled. With its new streaming home, fans who have already caught it in theaters can revisit the film to see hidden details and foreshadowing of the movie’s twists and turns they may have missed the first time.
Besides the brilliant performances of Grant, Thatcher, and East, ‘Heretic’ owes much to the directing duo of Scott Beck and Ryan Woods. Although they haven’t made all of their films together, they have recently co-directed films such as Adam Driver‘s ’65’ and are also credited for the script of John Krasinski’s 2018 horror film ‘A Quiet Place,’ the project that would catapult the director’s career and lead to a franchise with ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ and ‘A Quiet Place Day One.’
Mormon missionaries are at the heart of ‘Heretic.’ However, viewers may wonder how accurately the film portrays them. Now, with ‘Heretic,’ the duo are at the top of their game, with the movie boasting an impressive 91% “certified fresh” rating on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. The film has been praised for its unique use of a single location, and the script carefully puts intense and highly debated topics of religion and faith into the critical themes of its story.
Overall, ‘Heretic’ is a great film to watch on Max, especially for fans of existential horror that can make you question your belief systems. Hugh Grant steps outside his usual roles to create a subtly terrifying character whose indifference and calm demeanor in the face of his horrendous actions will leave viewers unsettled. Moreover, the film’s chilling, ambiguous ending will stay on your mind for a while.
