Hugh Grant plays Hugh Grant—if Hugh Grant were a charming psychopath—in Heretic, an absorbing, chilling horror-thriller where the journey is more rewarding than the destination.

Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) play two Mormon missionaries who arrive at a seemingly innocuous house in hopes of converting its inhabitants—and instead find themselves locked in a house of horrors and a battle of wits with a man whose intentions aren’t exactly known, but certainly not heavenly.

Both Thatcher and East are excellent, their efforts only overshadowed by their co-star’s hauntingly frightening turn. Grant, in his first made-for-adults villain role that I can think of, gives us a look at what any of his other characters would be—if they were no good at all. Think An Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down as an Egotistical Maniac. Buts it’s not a competition—all three play off each other in enticing ways. It’s a treat to experience.

Writer/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods lay their film out with precision; from the moment the two young women step inside, the filmmakers go to work building tension and mystery, ramping up the anxiety, and setting their house of horrors into motion.

Heretic also feels like a movie where the concept was conceived and fleshed out well before the ending was. The first half of Heretic is aces, for all reasons described before, but as Beck and Woods start to peel back the layers of their black, grimy onion, Heretic goes from great to simply good. Some disturbing angles are introduced but not fully explored, and while so much foundation has been laid, what’s constructed is not nearly as good as the building process was. I won’t critique specifics for the sake of spoilers, but Heretic leaves you with the sense that had Beck and Woods just gone one layer deeper, pulled one more sideways twist out of their pocket, been willing to ratchet up its disturbing tendencies even higher, Heretic would have been something real special.

Even still, Heretic is a solid horror-thriller worthy of experiencing. Traditionally comedic actors often make compelling villains, and Hugh Grant makes the case once again—by effectively being Hugh Grant. Now I’m starting to wonder what’s buried under Notting Hill.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.