Heretic

Heretic is the most original religious horror film in recent memory.

One could also classify it as psychological thriller or suspense. I would argue the film is beyond classifying. I refused any spoilers before seeing it in theaters and I’m glad for that. I’ll avoid writing spoilers here.

Two Mormon missionaries, played brilliantly by Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher, are invited into the home of Mr. Reed, a stranger apparently interested in the Book of Mormon, but with secretive plans for them (plans that do not involve them leaving). They enter the house despite not seeing a Mrs. Reed; a woman needs to be present for them to go inside, they tell Mr. Reed. “She’s in the kitchen baking blueberry pie,” he insists, and they fall for the lie.

Hugh Grant plays off-type as Mr. Reed and is perfect for the role. His charming smile and pleasant demeanor give him an air of harmlessness that this type of villain requires.

Grant deserves an Oscar for this one. He’s both captivating and abhorrent, two qualities the role requires, and he chews every line of dialogue with expertise. You simultaneously want to listen to more of his philosophy and see him brought to justice.

I won’t ruin what happens other than to say that I didn’t expect any of the ensuing twists and turns. Horror films are often victim of a weak third act, but this film’s finale will have people talking for awhile.

Unlike other horror films centered around a victim in captivity like Saw, I appreciated that this one has protagonists who are worthy intellectual adversaries to the villain. I don’t enjoy horror where the villain seems to constantly have the upper-hand, so much so that every other character is nothing more than a pawn on his board to be easily knocked off. This one is more a game of cat-and-mouse in which both sides are deeply challenged.

The violence is also more purposeful than most R-rated horror films. I’ve written before that I don’t like violence for the sake of violence. This film selects its violent scenes carefully, so that they enhance the theme of the film.

Best horror film of the year in this blogger’s opinion. 10/10

The Boy and the Heron

The Boy and the Heron is billed as Miyazaki’s final film. If it truly is it’s a great way to go out.

The film is equal parts autobiography and fantasy. A Japanese boy loses his mother during World War 2 in Japan, and moves with his father to a more rural part of the country, to live with his aunt, who is now pregnant with his soon-to-be half-sister (I hope I got that right).

A talking heron torments the boy and the aunt goes missing (did the heron take her away?). The boy wanders to a mysterious abandoned tower and into another world that seems to be a blend of living and dead souls. Is it the afterlife? Another dimension? The heron claims his mother is alive, and she resides within this world.

Some incredible sequences and visually arresting animation ensue, and the fate of several worlds is at stake.

Miyazaki is obviously a master storyteller and in my opinion, this is his best film since Spirited Away. It’s a film about life, loss, and ultimately a meditation on death. Plenty of Hollywood stars voice the characters, including Christian Bale as the boy’s father.

Narratively the final act felt like an exercise in surrealism, and I was okay with that because I was so engrossed in what I was watching.

I’ll never look at a parakeet the same way again after this movie.

9/10