Warning: This article contains spoilers for Heretic.Heretic offers a complex and captivating look at religion and personal faith, leaving much open to interpretation, particularly concerning whether Hugh Grant’s character’s wife was real or imagined. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods are behind one of 2024’s standout horror movies, which is even more impressive considering Heretic‘s cast list consists of three main characters for the majority of the film’s runtime. Confined almost entirely to Mr. Reed’s (Hugh Grant) home, the film masterfully builds tension and suspense and leads into a dark but rewarding ending for Heretic. However, the film has one truly exceptional element that resonated with all audiences.
Hugh Grant delivers an outstanding performance in Heretic, bringing an uncharacteristic charm to an otherwise decidedly dark and sadistic role. According to co-director Bryan Woods: “Mr. Reed has spent his entire life investigating what is the one true religion” (via Den of Geek). This results in one of Grant’s most memorable career performances, as he masterfully conveys Mr. Reed’s evolving motives throughout the escalating narrative. This creates an incredibly strong story featuring a central debate that leaves the argument of faith ambiguous and mirrors the audience’s uncertainty about Heretic‘s main character and his true idenтιтy.
After Heretic, It’s Not Clear Whether Mr. Reed Ever Actually Had A Wife
Mr. Reed Is Deliberately Coy About His Life In Heretic
From the outset, Mr. Reed is rather skittish about his personal life, which is very intentional and integral to the story. To begin with, the Mormon missionaries are hesitant to enter the cryptic man’s house, as their religion mandates the presence of another woman when speaking with a male figure. Consequently, Mr. Reed lures them into his house with a blueberry pie-scented candle to create the illusion that his wife is baking in the kitchen, just one room over. From this point on, it’s unclear whether Mr. Reed’s wife is real, as the candle was to add credence to his lie.
In the final act of Heretic, viewers learn Mr. Reed has many women locked in his lower basement as captives. These individuals, Reed claims, are “prophets.” The antagonist in Heretic exploits these women by orchestrating their deaths and subsequent “resurrections,” purely to indoctrinate other young women with tales of the afterlife, and add credibility to Mr. Reed’s one true religion. At this point, it’s unclear whether any of these “prophets” were once his wife. The film doesn’t revisit this issue, nor does it confirm if she’s real or was present in the house during the film’s events.
One Small Heretic Detail Suggests Mr. Reed Had A Wife (& It Explains Why He Became Evil)
Heretic Requires Careful Interpretation To Grasp Its Full Meaning
To truly understand Heretic, it’s important to pay attention to what’s unsaid, as well as what is revealed about the character’s background. As the film unfolds, Reed drops subtle hints about his life, but it’s difficult to decipher which ones are true. However, at a certain point, Reed claims that his wife built the religious altar in their home.
Heretic excels because it leaves much to the imagination, prompting viewers to form their own interpretations, and the detail about his wife is perhaps the most crucial example of this.
Despite his mysterious and creepy demeanor, there’s no obvious reason why he’d lie about this particular detail. There’s no reason for him to fabricate this story since it doesn’t help him control the young women or influence their thoughts and beliefs. This means we can infer several things that might be true based on what Reed said. His extensive understanding of religion suggests his wife might have been incredibly devout, but something may have happened to her that led her husband down a dark path.
It’s possible that a devastating event, like a terminal illness or a sudden, tragic death, propelled him onto a dark path, resulting in the kidnapping of these women and the quest to execute Mr. Reed’s plan. Heretic excels because it leaves much to the imagination, prompting viewers to form their own interpretations, and the detail about his wife is perhaps the most crucial example of this.
Source: Den of Geek
