When co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods started thinking about who could play the antagonist in their new horror film. HereticThey knew it had to have some specific characteristics. The film is about a man who lures missionaries to his home, eventually turning a nice talk about religion into a nightmare scenario. So I had to be able to be disarming with charm and humor, before changing gears to become intense and terrifying. “It had to have those moments where it felt dangerous, safe, contradictory traits that had to coalesce into something,” Beck says.
Early in the selection process, the couple found a surprising name and they couldn't pass it up. “As soon as we thought of him we thought, 'This has to be Hugh Grant,'” Beck says. “That's the only person we got to see in this role, because he checked all those boxes.”
The idea of making you feel comfortable is fundamental to the film and the character. Heretic begins with two young Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), who approach the wrong house while proselytizing door-to-door. At first, Grant's Mr. Reed seems completely harmless. He wears a comfortable cardigan, stumbles over his words, makes silly jokes and offers Coca-Cola to his guests. Her house is filled with the smell of baking blueberry pie. But eventually, the cracks begin to appear and Reed goes on to preach his own beliefs before heading in a much more sinister direction.
The character was inspired by a mix of real-world figures, including notable atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, as well as cult leader Keith Raniere. The directors spent about four months exchanging emails with Grant as he picked apart the character, peppering them with questions about Reed's origins and beliefs. “I think through those conversations the character started to become more and more clear to all of us,” Woods explains.
Raniere, in particular, influenced Grant's portrayal of Reed. Grant “was interested in the word salad that Raniere is able to conjure in a way that almost makes him feel smarter than he really could be,” Woods says. “He also responded to the way he creates the illusion of listening, which makes him seem less threatening.”
The directors believe that Grant's previous work, particularly his early career as a bumbling romantic comedy star, helps create the expectation that this is not a character to be afraid of. “Early in his career…he didn't feel threatening at all in any of those roles,” Beck says. “But as soon as you put him in a movie that has the look of a suspense thriller, and he starts to challenge you in a way you've never seen before, he weaponizes what we know about him.” Adds Woods: “We leaned heavily on his charisma and charm and all the things we know and love him for.”
In many horror movies, it's hard to believe that the characters will be left in a dangerous situation. but in Heretic, you can understand it; The warning signs are subtle at first, and once they become more obvious, well, it's too late. And that's thanks to Grant's ability to show both sides of the character so convincingly, making his guests (and viewers) initially feel at ease.
“We leaned heavily on his charisma and charm and all the things we know and love him for.”
“He's fun and open-minded, he wants to hear what they have to say,” Woods says of the initial dynamic between Mr. Reed and the two missionaries. “There is a sense of two young women who are talking to an older man who seems to be very knowledgeable about his religion and all religions. So we believe that they are sitting there and participating in this issue. And your best move is to listen to him politely and then get out of the situation.”
There's another scary aspect of Grant's character, something that will be familiar to anyone who spends a lot of time on the Internet: He's a debate brother. The film is about Reed convincing Barnes and Paxton of his own beliefs. Without going into details, he has a particular disdain for almost all organized religions. The conversation with the missionaries is almost a game. He has studied his entire life to be able to anticipate their questions and defeat them with logic. Reed doesn't have much interest in hearing what the sisters really have to say; he just wants to prove himself right, using all the characteristics that Grant embodies so well.
“What scares us the most is someone who approaches something with such confidence that it's unwavering,” Beck says. “The best thing about speech and debates is that you are actively listening. One thing we're excited about about the movie is that we can include all these questions and talking points, and Reed can feel like that guy on Reddit.”
Heretic It's in theaters on November 8.
