Hugh Grant plays wicked games with two Mormon girls who turn up at his doorstep in the fiendish Heretic.
The appeal of Scott Beck and Bryan WoodsHereticis a little bit like that too.
And believe me, he is absolutely spellbinding in his indoctrination.
Before leaving, the young women are told they have a prospective convert in want of some proselytizing.
It matches his cozy sweater as he smirks at the Christians caught in a godforsaken thunderstorm.
In fact, it’s possible for you to smell it from here.
Amusingly so, at times.
Its terrifying, but also thrilling due to a masterclass in fiendishness from Grant.
Hereticcomes at an interesting point in the British thespians career.
Perhaps more than any other actor of the 1990s and 2000s, Hugh Grant was once synonymous with charm.
His affected diffidence and awkwardness were counterintuitive, with each quality only greater emphasizing his innate charisma.
But the thing about charisma is it can lead you down wicked roads, particularly when religion is concerned.
But it is the best use of that subversion to date.
The characters ability to tempt doubt, at least in the tenets of faith providesHereticwith its greatest strength.
Which is not to sayHereticis particularly for or against religion.
The film rather seems content to set up its church in the space between.
First and foremost, it is a wicked entertainment, emphasis on entertainment.
And like any alluring faith, it keeps you hooked while in search of that final absolution.
Rating:
4 out of 5
