'Heretic' Cleverly Uses Hugh Grant To Give Us an Anti-Religious Fanatic

Rainn Wilson complained about “an anti-Christian bias in Hollywood” after watching an episode of The Last Us. That episode featured a preacher who had used his power and the faith of others to run a camp where he feeds the flesh of his followers to his followers and attempts to sexually assault one of the lead characters who is also a minor. The character is reprehensible and is one of many characters like that in the show, many of whom are not religious (at least not openly). Still, Wilson kind of has a point.

I am a former Catholic who thoroughly had religion beaten out of him for all the reasons you could expect. The biggest, however, involved moving out of my small town and meeting people who were not guilt-ridden, homophobic Massachusetts Catholics. I met people of all manner of religions and decided that none of them were for me. This realization brought with it a kind of smug satisfaction that I was the one who was actually enlightened and they were all wasting their time. If they all thought they were right, it must mean they were all wrong!

My views toward religion felt encouraged by what I saw on the stage and screen. I wasn’t the only one who noticed the great gift that is organized religion! Aren’t I so smart and cool and definitely going to get laid because I’m twenty years old and have figured it all out? The answer to most of those questions was no. But I was having my viewpoint reinforced and not seeing much the other way, lest I felt the need to watch a Kevin Sorbo movie (and nobody wants that).

Organized religion is open to criticism like anything else, and is deserving of it. The horrors committed in the name of religion are impossible to deny. America just re-elected a fascist who will attempt to strip away the rights of millions under the guise of piety. Roe v Wade was struck down for the same bulls*** reasons, so, of course, a film like The First Omen (one of my favorite films of the year) will demonize the old religious guard who seeks to control women’s bodies. Good art responds to the world around it.

But, just as Wilson is right that some religious people are out to help others, some anti-religious people are f***ing obnoxious. The people in question will weaponize their non-belief as a way to feel superior to others. That’s certainly what I was doing! I was also, admittedly, living in a bit of an echo chamber. I’m sure there were works critical of those who criticize religion, but I hadn’t seen any. That’s why I found the new Hugh Grant-starring film Heretic so fascinating.

SPOILERS FOR HERETIC AHEAD!

Lindsay wrote a fantastic review that you can read here. The film involves two female members (Played wonderfully by Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (which is a real mouthful but admittedly more fun to say than Mormons) visiting a man who requested more info on the church (played by Hugh Grant). They soon learn that Grant is less interested in the church and instead wants to slowly break them of their beliefs in a way he believes is foolproof.

East and Thatcher’s characters are far from religious stereotypes. They are normal, nuanced human beings who struggle to keep their faith in a world full of temptation and other rad stuff. Still, they aren’t worn down by that struggle until they are forced to “debate” with Grant, they simply have questions and aren’t ignorant of the world around them, as religious types are often portrayed. They also stick to their faith and the film manages to keep that from being preachy. Grant’s character goes in the other direction.

We know almost nothing about Grant. The few personal details given are discovered to be lies. We know his mission, to kidnap young women and exert a demented kind of control over them until they are little more than his tortured pets. He is driven by the satisfaction he derives from his research. Research he believes has helped him prove that control is the one true religion. Bravo, Reply Guy!

While some of Grant’s arguments hold weight, the others are easier to argue against, as our leads often do after they are done politely indulging a creepy older man who has tricked them into listening to him (relatable). Regardless, no argument justifies his end goal. And that’s the point. He doesn’t want to free them from religion or anything of that nature, he just wants to be in charge.

I’ve never kidnapped women or forced anyone to debate me about religion, but I have definitely said some of the things that come out of Grant’s mouth earlier in the film and him uttering those sentiments made me squirm in my seat. I have happily watched people get taken to task for being overly religious fanatics who seek control, and watching the same come from an anti-religious fanatic was incredibly powerful. Things are taken to the extreme, but the metaphor stands nonetheless.

Not wanting people to control the lives of others through their religious whims is a good mentality. The same can be said for not criticizing everyone who believes something you don’t (unless it’s openly harmful, hateful, racist, misogynist, etc.). There can be good that comes with being religious, as Rainn Wilson pointed out. There is also lots of bad. It’s okay to not need a book to tell you to be a moral, upstanding person. But it sucks to criticize people who may only focus on that aspect of said book.

Heretic shows us that no one has the answers and we’re all just doing our f***ing best to understand our role in this universe. Some people need a little guidance to do so, and that’s okay. Faith can get you through some hard times (like being locked in a house with Hugh Grant). It’s when you start to impose your will and views on others that problems arise, and non-religious folks can be just as guilty of that as religious ones.