Hugh Grant receives rave reviews for rare foray into horror

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Kelly Rissman

US News Reporter

A rare Hugh Grant horror film has received rave reviews from early viewers at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

Grant, 64, who is best known for roles in Bridget Jones Diary and Notting Hill, stars in Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’s forthcoming psychological horror Heretic as Mr Reed– a sinister man who traps two young women in his home after they try to convert him to Mormonism.

Heretic is the latest project in which Grant has aimed to leave behind his Nineties romantic comedy persona, having opted for villainous roles in the 2020 HBO series The Undoing, the fantasy adventure Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Paddington 2.

After its premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), early viewers of Heretic were quick to praise the film for its “intelligent” and “tense” plot.

“Genre fans, you are in for a treat with Heretic,” one person wrote on X/Twitter.

“This is a wild rollercoaster ride of a horror film that masterfully blends dynamic characters, dark humour, enormous tension, and provocative ideas. Hugh Grant’s chilling, menacing performance is one of the best of his career.”

Another viewer added: “Wow, Heretic was absolutely BRILLIANT! One of the most intelligent horror films I’ve seen.

“The film breezes along, with the suspense hooking you from the beginning & not letting go. I can’t imagine anyone other than Hugh Grant in a role that was seemingly made for him.”

Heretic writers and directors Beck and Woods said they had opted for Grant to play the role of Mr Reed despite multiple other high profile stars displaying interest in the role.

Speaking to Beck said: “Hugh is certainly having a renaissance and we’re so grateful to be a part of that journey.

“When we saw Four Weddings And A Funeral, we were too young to understand the idiosyncratic nature of that movie and Richard Curtis’s work, but there was this standout performance by Hugh Grant.”

Woods explained that when the pair approached Grant to play Mr Reed he took “a little courting” before accepting the role. “A lot of A-listers were raising their hand to play this role,” he added, but admitted they “just felt in our bones that it was the right choice.”

He added: “He’s extremely intelligent and brought a lot of interesting thoughts on religion.”

Many Grant fans praised his pivot into the horror genre when the Heretic trailer was released in June.

In the trailer, Grant is seen capturing the two young women before telling them: “I won’t keep you if you wish to leave, but I want you to choose which door to go through based on your faith.”

He is then seen writing the words “BELIEF” and “DISBELIEF” in chalk on two doorways.

One viewer wrote in the trailer’s comments: “This new era of villainous roles for Hugh Grant is really fun.”

Meanwhile, another person added: “I never realised that Hugh Grant would make a great psycho killer.”

Heretic will be released in cinemas on 15 November 2024.