Comparing both religion and Jar Jar Binks in the same sentence might sound like an odd combination, yet Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s “Heretic” does just that. A24 once again brings some of the most creative minds into the production of a chill-inducing psychological horror film. Hugh Grant — England’s most iconic rom-com heartthrob mostly known for films such as “Notting Hill” and “Bridget Jones’s Diary” — has come back, but this time as a psychopathic old man.

The film starts with a conversation between two Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton. The scene cuts to them going from house to house spreading the Gospel. Then, the girls stumble upon the house of the charismatic Englishman Mr. Reed, who welcomes them in — seemingly interested in what they have to say. There in the living room, he listens openly to their teachings with a charming smile and witty remarks, yet the atmosphere in the room slowly becomes suffocating for both the girls and the audience.

Pulsating sounds stress fear in the audience, coupled with the terror of the situations the girls endured throughout the film. As the movie went on, the room grew colder and silent. Reed had not only induced panic and distress in the audience but also a series of striking questions about their beliefs, in which he kept remarking on his frantic theory of the one “true religion.”

Although the film pressures the viewers to ponder on their beliefs, it does not leave them with any long-term doubts to stress over. Moreover, the ideas presented by Mr. Reed were mostly shocking in the way he manipulated his words into the heads of both Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes. He succeeded in challenging the characters, not the audience

Undoubtedly, “Heretic” not only delivered stress and nail-biting moments to the viewers but tested how far someone would go for their faith.