10 Recent Horror Movies That Broke All The Rules

Rule Break: Who needs jump scares when theology can be terrifying?

You know a film is doing something different when Hugh Grant is the most unsettling thing on screen, and not because he’s cracking jokes. In Heretic, he plays Mr. Reed, a mysterious recluse who welcomes two young Mormon missionaries into his home... and then locks the door.

What follows isn’t your typical religious horror. There’s no demon, no exorcism, no third-act bloodbath. Instead, directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods craft a slow-burning three-hander, where most of the horror comes from talking. The tension builds through philosophical debates, moral traps, and psychological games. Grant is magnetic and quietly menacing, delivering Bible verses like threats and turning theological doubt into a weapon.

It breaks the rules by stripping away the genre’s crutches - no loud bangs, no ghostly figures, no overblown score. The fear creeps in through silence, implication, and the uncomfortable recognition that this man might be right… or something worse entirely.

In an era of franchise fatigue and formulaic horror, Heretic stands out as something rare - intimate, unpredictable, and deeply unnerving. Proof that when done right, a conversation can be scarier than any monster.