Heretic is nearing its US release date but has already raked in its first reviews, as well as scores on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. The upcoming horror thriller follows two Mormon missionaries, who inadvertently end up in a game of survival after encountering the mysterious Mr. Reed, played by Hugh Grant. As such, the duo turns their attention towards their faith to make it out of his residence alive. The initial reactions to the film have mostly commended its gritty but captivating narrative, and critics have especially lauded Grant for his masterful performance in a negative role.
Reviews for Heretic praise Hugh Grant’s performance
While the Golden Globe winner’s acting chops in Heretic have taken the early viewers by storm, the movie itself has also garnered positive reviews from most critics.
Empire Magazine’s James Dyer levied much praise on the Hollywood veteran for “showcasing a genuinely chilling turn” in his review for Heretic. He called the film “an incredibly tense, tightly contained bottle horror.”
Meanwhile, Patrick Cavanaugh of ComicBook.com also highlighted Hugh Grant’s turn as Mr. Reed, stating that his “performance is undeniably upsetting, elevating the material and ratcheting up the tension.”
Additionally, Newsday’s Rafer Guzman labeled Heretic as a “modest horror flick” in his review. He echoed his fellow critics’ sentiments towards Grant’s performance, calling him “devilishly good.”
Associated Press’ Mark Kennedy provided a score of 3/4 in his review for Heretic, stating that the movie is “so beautifully constructed and acted in the first half” that audiences “won’t really notice when it turns into a horror movie.”
Furthermore, Joonatan Itkonen of Toisto.net gave the thriller flick a rating of 4/5, before terming it to be “a tremendous addition to an already stacked year for horror films.” He added that Heretic is “a smart, often witty, and always terrifying exploration of fascinating themes that never underestimates its audience.”
Heretic wins over critics with high Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic Scores
Apart from good reactions from critics, the Hugh Grant-starrer has also performed well on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.
Due to the overwhelmingly positive reviews from film experts, Heretic currently holds an impressive critic score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film has collected a similar response on Metacritic as well, boasting a glittering score of 71. Of the 29 critics who analyzed the movie on the website, 25 have given a positive review, with the remaining four settling for a mixed review.
