On the Saturday November 9, 2024 edition of The Richard Crouse Show I’ll tell you about the new psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, “Heretic,” now playing in theatres. In the film, door-to-door Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton are lured into a theological cat-and-mouse game by the curious (and possibly deadly) Mr. Reed, played by Hugh Grant.
Grant is remarkable in the film. It’s really something different for him, and I had the chance to talk about the movie and that performance with the film’s two other stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, and the film’s directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
Then, we’ll meet Afro-Canadian rapper, singer-songwriter, and producer Kofi, who releases his newest album, “Pettyboy” on November 15th via Red Bull Records / The Orchard on all streaming platforms. We’ll learn how he balances life as a musician and professional volleyball player.
Finally, we’ll get to know meet Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, choreographers who have been at the forefront of dance creation in Europe for over 35 years. This month they come to the National Ballet in Toronto for the first time with Silent Screen, a profound theatrical experience that brings a silent film to life, set to the music of Philip Glass.
Each week on the nationally syndicated Richard Crouse Show, Canada’s most recognized movie critic brings together some of the most interesting and opinionated people from the movies, television and music to put a fresh spin on news from the world of lifestyle and pop-culture. Tune into this show to hear in-depth interviews with actors and directors, to find out what’s going on behind the scenes of your favourite shows and movies and get a new take on current trends. Recent guests include Chris Pratt, Elvis Costello, Baz Luhrmann, Martin Freeman, David Cronenberg, Mayim Bialik, The Kids in the Hall and many more!
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Check out my CTVNews.ca interview with “Heretic” stars Sophie Thatcher (who stars of Crave’s “Yellowjackets”) and Chloe East and co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. We talk about the movie and about working with Hugh Grant and how different this role is for him.
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to tie a bowtie! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the family drama “The Piano Lesson,” the creeptastic “Heretic” and the Cillian Murphy in “Small Things Like These.”
I sit in with CKTB morning show host Steph Vivier to have a look at movies in theatres and streaming including the family drama “The Piano Lesson,” the creeptastic “Heretic” and the Cillian Murphy in “Small Things Like These.”
I join the Bell Media Radio Network national night time show “Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift” for Booze & Reviews! This week we have a look at the new Hugh Grant psychological thriller “Heretic” and I’ll tell you about the perfect drink to enjoy while watching the film.
Listen to “Booze & Reviews” HERE! (Starts at 10:43)
Could a 1000 monkeys working on a 1000 typewriters really write Shakespeare? Find out HERE! (Starts at 20:45)
SYNOPSIS: In “Heretic,” a new psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant and now playing in theatres, door-to-door Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are lured into a theological cat-and-mouse game by the curious (and possibly deadly) Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant).
CAST: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East and Topher Grace. Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
REVIEW: Horror and religion go together like peanut butter and jam, but rarely have the two come together in such an unusual and thought-provoking way. “Heretic” is a tautly constructed thriller that questions faith, power and the very essence of belief.
From crafting a tense chamber drama with just a handful of characters and pushing interesting, provocative buttons, filmmaking duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who also co-wrote the script, do a lot of good work here, but their biggest feat is in the casting.
Hiring Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed is their masterstroke. Grant, whose last horror film was 1988’s “The Lair of the White Worm,” plays off years of goodwill earned from charming audiences with his crinkly baby blues and amiable smile. Just as he draws Sisters Barnes and Paxton (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) into his home with his polite and pious behavior, he seduces the viewer, only to double cross them as Mr. Reed’s true nature and motives become apparent. Behind the smile and sparking eyes is a guy that would make any of Grant’s former movie charmers run and hide. It plays against his well-established type and adds a layer of devilish fun to the film.
Thatcher, as the skeptical Sister Barnes, and West, as the naïve but resourceful Sister Paxton, round out the cast. Each are crucial in keeping up the film’s lively tone. This is not a horror film of jump scares. It’s meant to unsettle you with ideas and conversation. The tension comes from the conflict between Mr. Reed, who essentially believes that all religions are identical and are sold like any other commodity to customers willing to believe, and the deeply spiritual missionaries. As his questioning escalates—he’s like a stern university professor who isn’t trying to teach as much as he is trying to display how clever he is—the two young women begin to understand they are in deep trouble.
It’s a psychological thriller that eventually turns violent, and a bit more conventional, in the film’s final third, but up until then the three central performances, combined with a growing atmosphere of dread and claustrophobia, provide a fascinating, dialogue-driven game of cat-and-mouse.
Grant’s career redefining performance as the charming face of theological curiosity may be “Heretic’s” biggest draw, but the movie also delivers smart, stylish thrills. It digs deep and gets dark but never forgets to have fun.
The Boogeyman may be the most prevalent and terrifying creature to haunt the night. With no specific appearance, the Boogeyman can be anyone or anything that hides in the dark recesses of your mind, or under your bed.
In the new horror film, “The Boogeyman,” based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name from the 1978 anthology “Night Shift,” and now playing in theatres, the titular character is a murderous, malevolent force who feeds off grief.
The movie focusses on 16-year-old Sadie (“Yellowjackets” star Sophie Thatcher) and younger sister Sawyer Harper (Vivien Lyra Blair), both still smarting from the tragic death of the mother. Their father, therapist Will (Chris Messina), is so consumed by his own grief he is unable to provide the support his daughters need.
When Lester (David Dastmalchian), a disturbed man who claims that someone or something killed his children, shows up at their home, desperate for help, he unwittingly brings with him a dangerous entity that feasts on their anguish.
At first Sadie and Sawyer’s fear of this mysterious presence is brushed off as a “manifestation” of their imaginations. “When there are scary things we don’t understand,” says Dr. Weller (LisaGay Hamilton), “our minds try and fill in the blanks.”
As the terror continues, however, Will begins to take the danger seriously, as Sadie seeks ways to neutralize the threat.
“The Boogeyman” is another entry in the low light horror movie sweepstakes. Director Rob Savage keeps the aperture turned down, shooting in most scenes in the near dark, which is a perfect incubator for horror, but begs the question, “If the boogeyman only comes in the dark, why not turn on the lights?”
That quibble aside, “The Boogeyman” is an effective slow-burn tale of terror. It takes its time with the scares, introducing jump scares and slamming doors early on, building anxiety and tension, before getting face-to-face with the face of evil.
The monster itself is nothing much special, but the idea of it is the stuff of nightmares. A creature that feeds off you at your lowest point, that “likes to play with its food” to “scare them until they’re done,” is something that can burrow its way deep into your subconscious. It is at the center of the film, but Savage opts for jump scares over the psychological, blunting some of the story’s true emotional horror.
Having said that, the relationship between the two sisters ups the ante as Sadie risks it all to protect her younger sibling.
“The Boogeyman” is more anxiety inducing than actually scary, but it is an interesting take on grief, and how sometimes you have to put the past behind you to move forward.
On the Saturday November 9, 2024 edition of The Richard Crouse Show I’ll tell you about the new psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, “Heretic,” now playing in theatres. In the film, door-to-door Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton are lured into a theological cat-and-mouse game by the curious (and possibly deadly) Mr. Reed, played by Hugh Grant.
