'Heretic' Is Now One of A24's Top 10 Highest Earning Movies in US History

6 days ago 4

A24 are known as masters of the horror genre, with their ability to scout a refreshing take on the genre and perfectly cast each role nothing short of consistently brilliant. In 2024, the company's best offering in the genre came in the form of a small-budget religion-inspired film, one that has stormed its way to box office success thanks in no small part to an already-beloved villainous turn from British icon Hugh Grant. That film is Scott Beck and Bryan Woods' Heretic, with the movie already earning awards nominations despite still being in theaters.

In fact, that sustained theatrical run has recently helped the horror film pass a new major milestone, with Heretic now officially A24's ninth highest-grossing movie of all time domestically. With the movie's $41 million worldwide haul consisting of $27 million in nationwide ticket sales, Heretic has now surpassed former ninth-placed movie Midsommar, with just $100,000 more needed to overtake eighth-placed Moonlight.

Hugh Grant's 'Heretic' Performance is One of His Best

For a movie that almost entirely focuses on three performances, the weight of expectation on said performances is enormous. Well, fear not, for all three are terrific, with Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East turning in some of their best work to date. However, it's Grant who steals the show as the violently charming Mr. Reed, with the rom-com icon using his bumbling British heartthrob charisma to deliver the seediest and most exhilarating performance in his new villain era. In fact, so well has his performance been received that the veteran actor has already earned Critics' Choice and Golden Globe nominations, with Grant a whispered outside shout for an Oscar nod. Speaking on Grant's performance, Collider's Ross Bonaime said in his review of the film:

"Espousing his religious rants with great gusto and excitement is Grant as Mr. Reed, a delightfully strange and exciting role for the actor. Grant has been on a roll lately with villainous performances , both in Paddington 2 and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves , and his role in Heretic is a solid addition to this lineup. Like those other films, Heretic knows that with Grant at the helm, all you really need to do is step back, aim the camera at him, and let him go on a tear. Here, Grant is reveling in destroying the spirit of these two girls , pointing out the holes in logic within their religion, and genuinely enjoying the back-and-forth that this pair provides in this dialogue about faith. Heretic is at its best when it lets Grant take the reins with a lengthy monologue and go off on his visitors, using Monopoly as a metaphor for religion, singing Radiohead songs, and doing a Jar Jar Binks impression. It’s basically everything you could want from a villainous Grant role."