Hugh Grant’s Sinister Transformation: Embodying Mr. Reed in A24’s Heretic, Premiering in India on 13th December

PVRINOX Pictures proudly presents Heretic, an intense psychological horror-thriller from the creators of A Quiet Place, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The film stars Hugh Grant as the enigmatic Mr. Reed, with Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as two missionaries ensnared in a deadly game of survival. Set to release on Friday, the 13th of December, Heretic promises to redefine the boundaries of psychological horror.

Heretic follows the gripping journey of Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), whose seemingly routine day turns into a nightmare after they knock on the wrong door. What starts as an innocent encounter quickly escalates into a deadly psychological battle with the diabolical Mr. Reed. As the story unfolds, the girls are forced to navigate a harrowing test of faith, where belief becomes both a source of strength and a life-altering trap.

In this psychological thriller, Hugh Grant steps into one of his darkest roles yet:  a manipulative, enigmatic figure whose suburban home transforms into a nightmarish prison for the two young visitors. Known for his sharp wit and effortless charm, Grant stretches his acting muscles to embody a character at once mesmerizing and menacing. The journey to bring Mr.Reed to life was as layered as the character himself, involving meticulous preparation and creative risks that prepared Grant for this defining role.

“This is a very complex and curious mind at work, who is experimenting, investigating, simulating and trying to uncover the one true religion in the confines of his suburban home,” says Woods. “He’s going to extreme lengths to find that answer for himself.” To prepare for the role, Grant immersed himself in the world of Reed. Drawing inspiration from figures like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, he researched serial killers and cult leaders to understand their motivations.

While Grant’s career has often been defined by his effortless charm in films like Notting Hill and Love Actually, the last decade has seen him embrace darker, more complex roles. His turn as a villain in Paddington 2 and his layered performance in A Very English Scandal revealed an actor unafraid to take risks.

“Hugh has quietly become one of the greatest character actors working today,” says Beck. “And like any great character actor, he steals every movie he’s in.” The idea of working with him had been percolating since the duo saw the Wachowski sisters’ Cloud Atlas more than a decade ago, a film whose status as a cult masterpiece has only grown in the intervening years. Beck continues “We were just bowled over by the risks he took in that film, and he just kept taking big risks role after role after role, beyond what most audiences knew him from”. Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed is unlike anything the audience has seen him do before, the culmination of his preparation creating a character both captivating and deeply unsettling.

Prepare yourself for a tense, thought-provoking exploration of faith, survival, and the human psyche with HERETIC, in cinemas from 13th December!