Mr. Reed

Heretic is a 2024 American psychological horror film, written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. It stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as Mormon missionaries who visit the home of an eccentric man, Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), after he expresses interest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Mr. Reed's true intentions later become clear.

Heretic premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024, and was released in the United States by A24 on November 8. It received positive reviews from critics and grossed over $59 million worldwide. For his performance, Grant received Best Actor nominations at the Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice Awards, and the BAFTA Awards, while Beck and Woods received an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for Best Screenplay.

Two young missionaries from the LDS Church, eager Sister Paxton and self-assured Sister Barnes, arrive at the home of a reclusive middle-aged man, Mr. Reed. They state that they cannot enter the home without a woman being present. Mr. Reed invites them in, assuring them that his wife is preparing a blueberry pie in the back of the house. They begin to discuss religion, and Sister Paxton playfully expresses a desire to visit others, after death, as a butterfly that appears on the hands of her loved ones. During the conversation, Reed makes several uncomfortable comments about their faith. When Reed steps out of the room, Barnes realizes that the smell of blueberry pie is from a candle, the front door is locked, and they have no phone signal.

They follow Reed to his study, where he gives them an ominous lecture arguing that all modern religions are "iterations" of an earlier one, and claims to have found the one true religion. The girls are told that the front door is latched on a timer and will not open. He gives the girls a choice of two doors to go through to exit the house: one if they still believe in God, and one if they do not. Barnes rebels, repudiating several of his claims. They enter the "Belief" door, but later discover both doors lead to the same dungeon.