Episode Title: Day 3: Heretic (2024) - Belief, Disbelief, and Blueberry Pie
Episode Summary:
For Day 3 of his "31 Horror Movies in 31 Days" challenge, John Sellmeyer reviews the 2024 psychological horror film Heretic, directed by Scott Beck and Brian Woods. The film stars Hugh Grant as a mysterious man who ensnares two Mormon missionaries (played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) in a terrifying intellectual and physical test of faith within his home.
Please Note: This is a spoiler-filled review.
John wastes no time diving into the film's central twists and themes. He discusses the main conceit where the missionaries are forced to choose between a "belief" door and a "disbelief" door, only to discover both lead to the same dungeon, exposing the choice as a facade.
The episode is a deep dive into the film's rich symbolism, including:
An analogy comparing the history of religion to the board game Monopoly being a copy of an older game.
The realization that a pleasant smell is not a baking pie but a scented candle, symbolizing the deceptive nature of their situation.
The ambiguous final scene with a butterfly, which connects to a character's earlier wish and leaves the audience questioning the presence of the supernatural.
John praises Hugh Grant's strong, unsettling performance and celebrates the film as an intellectually satisfying experience with well-built tension. While acknowledging that some viewers might dislike the long, philosophical monologues, John personally loved them.
