Hugh Grant has masterfully reinvented himself. Across a dazzling 43-year career, he’s seamlessly transitioned from the quintessential bumbling romantic in classics like Notting Hill and Love Actually to the irresistible cad of Bridget Jones’ Diary, and, more recently, to a series of captivatingly villainous roles. Think Paddington 2, Wonka, The Undoing, A Very English Scandal, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.
Now, in Heretic, streaming on Showmax, Grant plunges headfirst into the chilling depths of psychological horror. This is a stark departure for his legions of rom-com fans, a transformation that has critics raving. As Rolling Stone declares, “creepy, evil Hugh Grant is the best Hugh Grant,” while Slate proclaims his “villain era” as his most compelling yet.
This bold shift has garnered Grant critical acclaim, including Best Actor nominations at this year’s Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Critics Choice Awards, where he was also recognized for The Regime.
Heretic, lauded as one of Rotten Tomatoes’ top-rated horror films of 2024, spins a terrifying tale of two young Mormon missionaries who stumble upon the malevolent Mr. Reed. What begins with the promise of blueberry pie and theological debate quickly devolves into a deadly game of cat and mouse, as Grant weaponizes his signature charm with unsettling precision.
The New York Times once celebrated Grant as “a quintessentially British romantic hero of winning charm and diffidence.” However, his recent foray into “strange and sometimes creepy characters” has prompted a reassessment of his very essence.
Grant himself describes Mr. Reed as a man who “loves being an iconoclast and he loves to burst bubbles of belief — it thrills him, in fact, and maybe even arouses him… And he loves the attention, and the company, his young visitors bring to him.”
In a BAFTA interview, Grant elaborated, “This guy’s clearly very f*cked up and evil, but superficially, he thinks he’s a lot of fun, like the trendy professor who thinks he’s going to make teaching a fun experience. And I thought, everything that’s scary in this film will be doubly scary because he treats everything as a game, like it’s fun.”
Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, known for their work on A Quiet Place, 65, Haunt, and The Boogeyman, have struck gold with their inspired casting. Beck notes, “Hugh has quietly become one the greatest character actors working today. And like any great character actor, he steals every movie he’s in.”
Men’s Health astutely observes, “Grant’s charm, smile, and accent are all key to what helped establish him in the ’90s and early 2000s as one of the faces of the modern rom-com. In Heretic, those same qualities help make him into one of the best horror villains we’ve seen in a while. Who could say no to a slice of pie from Hugh Grant?”
Complementing Grant’s chilling performance are Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) and Chloe East (The Fabelmans), whose authentic portrayals of the missionaries are heightened by their own Mormon upbringing. Grant acknowledged the value of this casting, praising the actresses for creating “very complicated and three-dimensional” characters.
At 64, Grant, once self-deprecatingly dubbed “Mr. Stuttery Blinky,” is also reprising his role as Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, which recently broke UK and Ireland box office records for a romantic comedy.
Catch Heretic now on Showmax, and prepare for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy in May 2025. Prepare for a cinematic whiplash, as the beloved Grant of rom-coms transforms into a master of unsettling menace.