In this scathing review, Rex Reed rips into Hugh Grant’s misguided attempt at horror, describing the film as a “pointless screamfest” that’s more ideology lecture than thriller. The verdict?

Heretic, the twisty new A24 horror movie from writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, starts with a question: Why would two young female Mormon missionaries enter the house of a sketchy older man despite strict instructions never to do so unless there’s a woman present?

The official logline for Heretic reads, “Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.”