Few films get to the heart of what makes religion and horror films such a frightening combination as “Heretic,” which hits U.S. theaters on November 8th.

“Heretic” is a cat-and-mouse thriller and a theological procedural all in one. It follows two Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), as they brave an approaching storm to go to the home of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), a man who had previously expressed an interest in Learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The two women are initially hesitant to enter his extensive property because, by dictum, they are not allowed to enter a house alone with a man. Mr. Reed dismisses their concerns by promising that his wife is in the kitchen baking a blueberry pie. As the minutes tick by and there is no cake (or woman) in sight, Mr. Reed politely if firmly begins to question the sisters' religious beliefs, asking them to consider whether they only believe because they do were indoctrinated.

Paxton and Barnes try in vain to escape Reed's house, and their lying host subjects them both to a claustrophobic list of horrors that test the beliefs so zealously espoused at the film's opening.

“Heretic” is the culmination of a ten-year journey by directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who meticulously researched religious history (as well as Mormon history) while writing the film’s script, which, at least for the first act, consists of the following have many theological and spiritual debates.

“We have a lot of connections to the Mormon community. To make the film personal, we had to get it right,” Woods told the National Catholic Reporter on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival. “When we started writing this project, we felt like we needed a larger base of religious knowledge, and so we paused the film, started researching different religions, and then sort of wrote a few other films. Many of the questions explored in this film draw from the real fears we both had about what happens when you die.”

Thatcher, who was raised Mormon, shared that it was important to her to draw on family history and reflect the diversity within the Mormon community. “I left the church when I was young. It wasn't a purposeful thing. … I was about 12 years old, doing theater and working eight shows a week, which meant there was no opportunity to go to church,” she told NCR.

“But my mother still goes to church and plays the organ in the church choir. Chloe (East) is also very connected to modern Mormons,” she said. “I have seen and interacted with many different worlds. When it came time to play the role of Barnes, I consulted the people who were still connected to the church.”

Thatcher also shared that she identified with Barnes' recalcitrance and hesitation, especially compared to Paxton's passion. “Barnes is a character who converted to faith later in life, and I felt like I could tap into that sense of measured excitement but also nervousness about this new faith,” she explained.

While Thatcher plays Barnes with a certain amount of hesitation, East, in his portrayal of Paxton, is only too happy to engage with Reed's hypothetical questions and thought experiments before realizing that their seriousness won't protect them. East is no stranger to playing characters with religious fervor, most recently in Steven Spielberg's 2022 film “The Fablemans.”

“Weirdly, I feel like I'm always playing the crazy Christian… But that's why I'm here. I think at first you think Paxton is this crazy, Jesus-loving character, but later it kind of turns into something more down-to-earth,” she smiled. East commented on how the role supported her own internal dialogues about faith:

What I like most about this film is that it opens the door to such rich conversations. I had a lot of thoughts about, “Wait a minute, Paxton?” Paxton grew up with a belief and (over the course of the film) has to decide whether she believes in it or not.

Once “Heretic” gets into full swing and Paxton and Barnes realize that Reed may have taken Jesus' call to “welcome the stranger” a little too seriously, it becomes clear that the film has more on its mind than jump scares or cheapening Thrill. Paxton, Barnes, and Reed discuss a range of theological issues, from the problem of theodicy to spiritual abuse in the church, and their discussion reveals the horror when our faith is forced to be made visible. What happens when trials and tribulations make us wonder if we ever had faith?

The thrill simply wouldn't be possible without Grant's devilish performance; There's an innate charm there, even when Reed is at his most menacing. It's uncanny to see Grant express the warmth and charisma of his famous romantic comedy roles, but then transform it into something sinister while playing alongside Barnes and Paxton. Grant's performance is nuanced enough to make it clear to the audience that there is deep fear behind his pontificate and pain behind his wrinkled grin.

“I think you have to find the damage and the pain in the heart of each character,” Grant told NCR. “Especially for these villains. Otherwise they become some kind of cliche mustache-twirling guy. I certainly tried that for Mr. Reed; “I tried to figure out what upset him and why he developed such a strange and frightening coping mechanism.”

Beck and Woods are masters at writing movie monsters: They are responsible for “A Quiet Place” (2018), “The Boogeyman” (2023) and “65” (2023). And while “Heretic” wears its spiritual questions on its sleeve, the film never sacrifices thrills. “The one thing we love is to provoke the audience on a very emotional level…whether it's aliens on a farm, or dinosaurs, or Hugh Grant,” Beck quipped.

The pair believe the thrill of the genre doesn't have to conflict with the deeper questions they – and their audience – are asking. “As long as what we’re making has multiple layers, that’s what’s exciting,” Beck said.