Hugh Grant’s 2024 psychological horror Heretic is one of the most thrilling movies of his career and is now streaming on HBO and Max. As part of an exclusive licensing deal between the renowned independent production company A24 and HBO, Heretic will be available to stream on Max for the first time on March 7, 2025. HBO and Max are the home of many of A24’s new releases following their theatrical runs, including Civil War, Dream Scenario, and A Different Man.

Heretic was one of the most original and thought-provoking horror films released in 2024, earning an impressive Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%. Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, Heretic only follows a handful of characters besides Grant’s protagonist, Mr. Reed, a strange man with an unsettling obsession with theology and world religion. Mr. Reed invites two young missionaries – Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) – to his home for a cat-and-mouse game that puts their beliefs in God to the test.

Hugh Grant’s Heretic Is Now Streaming On Max – Why You Should Watch It

Grant Gives An Exceptional Performance In The Intellectually Stimulating Thriller

Heretic is a movie that surprises its viewers, not just from its twists, but from how engaging its ideas and conversations between characters are. Even for people who aren’t religious, Heretic is intellectually stimulating in how it probes into fundamental questions of what religion and spirituality truly are and how they can be used in society for both good and evil ends.

Heretic only appears to have a simple premise but is remarkably rich in philosophical notions and scenarios. These inspire viewers to contemplate their thoughts and beliefs on the debates presented in the film. Heretic also had an impressive box office performance, earning $57.4 million from a reported budget of $10 million.

Many great modern horrors and thrillers, such as Longlegs and Late Night With the Devil, are intently focused on storytelling and craft. While Heretic also relies on its narrative, it is unafraid to wax philosophy about a topic as old as time, using its characters as vessels for academic discussion. That’s not to say there aren’t classic horror elements and twists. Employing only a handful of actors, Heretic archives a great deal with limited resources by becoming one of the highest-rated horror movies of 2024 on Rotten Tomatoes.

Hugh Grant Delivers One Of The Best Performances Of His Career In Heretic

Grant Should Play More Horror Villains After His Chilling Heretic Performance

Hugh Grant is often ᴀssociated with his charming characters in classic romantic comedies such as Love Actually, About a Boy, and Notting Hill. Still, Grant has played some excellent movie villains as well, in movies like Paddington 2, The Gentlemen, and Dungeon and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

Grant won a BAFTA for his performance in Four Weddings and a Funeral but he also garnered some awards buzz for his role in Heretic, earning 2025 Best Actor nominations at the BAFTA Awards, Critics Choice Awards, and the Golden Globes.