“Heretic's Intense Ending, Explained |.” Crushable

If you've seen it HereticChances are, you'll never look at Hugh Grant the same way again.

This menacing, unashamedly academic and complex A24 horror film from co-writers/co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A quiet place) literally traps you in a labyrinth of unspoken threats, religious debates and blueberry pie, with Grant's terribly hospitable Mr. Reed proving to be one of modern horror's more surprising villains.

But how about that ending? What actually happened at the big reveal and what about that final moment? We'll delve into the disturbing details of the ending Hereticso consider this yours Big spoiler warning.

what is Heretic around?

On a dark and stormy afternoon, Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are assigned to visit addresses that have previously registered for more information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Next on her list is Mr. Reed (Grant), who invites her over on the socially appropriate premise that his wife is baking in the next room.

Mr. Reed initially seems quite charming and engages the two in a deep conversation about faith and how “religion is no longer the focus of culture.” But it quickly becomes clear that something is wrong; For example, this self-proclaimed religious scholar may be waving a “husband” cup, but his wife is nowhere to be seen. It is only when Mr. Reed reveals his more sinister methods of testing one's faith and enlightenment that the two women realize that they are in real danger. To leave the house, Mr. Reed insists that they choose one of two doors, one marked “Belief” and one marked “Unbelief.” But where do they lead?

What happens in the end? Heretic?

Photo credit: A24

The end of Heretic is a swirl of tense debates about faith and reality, heartbreaking revelations and violent endings. But it's also simply a man who craves ultimate control over women, masking his murderous desires with long-winded lectures on the pitfalls and pitfalls of modern religion.

After a horrific ordeal and brutal attack on Barnes, Paxton adopts her friend's strategy of “challenging” Mr. Reed, changing her tact from survivalist politeness to a more aggressive exchange. She discusses the concept of faith with him before accusing him of being a charlatan – the “miracle” they witnessed in Mr. Reed's basement was a ruse. Paxton figures out that there must be another entrance into the basement to test her theory and finds a trap door. She is once again encouraged by Mr. Reed to test her faith and decides to go in, even though she really has no choice at this point.

There she finds the core of Mr. Reed's sinister operation: a tunnel decorated with sinister occult symbols that leads to an ice-cold room. Here she discovers several women locked in cages, in extremely poor health and starving. Paxton was right. Every time Mr. Reed imprisons a woman in his maze house, he poisons another with cake to “demonstrate” the miracle to the newly trapped and replaces her with one of the women in the cages. The macabre switcheroo seemingly lets him play God again and again – and take notes at the same time. Mr. Reed probably signs up for “more information” to lure religious representatives to his home, and the whole thing works like a charm; The lights are timed, the locks are automatic and the script is set.

Mr. Reed “allows” Paxton to find these women so he can happily proclaim the true religion: control. He follows her through another door into the cage area for his “A-ha!” moment. But she stabs him with her hidden letter opener and uses his exit to escape. However, she gets lost in the labyrinth-like house and retreats to the basement. There Paxton is stabbed by a suddenly reappearing Mr. Reed, who has taken over the tunnel. Bleeding, she does something he didn't expect: she prays. In her final act, Barnes suddenly stabs Mr. Reed with the nail board. Paxton gathers the strength to return to the study, where, using Mr. Reed's wooden house map, she finds a small vent through which she can crawl out, and stumbles through the forest to freedom. Finally, a butterfly lands on her finger and then disappears.

What is Mr. Reed's real motivation here?

Photo credit: A24

Early in the film, when they are first invited, Mr. Reed asks the missionaries their thoughts on a big question: “What is the only true religion?” It comes up again and again throughout the film, and Mr. Reed admits that he tried “every sect, every cult and every doctrine” out there to search for the answer, combing through ancient history and modern religions and ultimately coming to the conclusion: Control is the only true religion. Essentially, Mr. Reed conducts artificial experiments in his macabre basement theater to “prove” this, after delivering long mansplaining monologues about Monopoly, Jar Jar Binks, and Radiohead to support his arguments.

Mr. Reed has built a maze-like trap for religious women, manipulating them into doubting their faith in order to distract from the fact that they are being held captive by a murderous man. “It’s easy to control someone who has lost everything,” he says. The number of women under Mr. Reed's control also brings to mind the very first question he asked Barnes and Paxton in the living room: “How do you feel about polygamy?” It's a foreshadowing you may have glossed over, but an uncomfortable start nonetheless.

At the end of the day, this is a man who wants to exert power over women. Ultimately, it's not about religion and it's not about faith; it's about violent, male control. From the moment Barnes and Paxton entered Mr. Reed's metal-clad, locked home, he knew he had a literally captive audience for his findings.

However, they outsmarted him and Barnes made a final sacrifice to save her friend.

What's wrong with the butterfly?

Photo credit: A24

At the very end of the film, we see Paxton stumbling through the woods on her final escape from Mr. Reed's house. In the final images, a butterfly lands on her finger and then disappears.

It is likely that the butterfly is a representation of her fallen friend Barnes, who was present in an earlier scene when the three discussed what happens when we die. Paxton had said that she would like to be reincarnated as a butterfly and that she would land on the fingertips of her loved ones to make sure they knew it was her. Barnes may have been trying to let Paxton know she was with her.

Alternatively, Paxton just had a near-death experience, so perhaps the butterfly is a representation of herself checking in on another plane of existence.

Since the butterfly disappears almost immediately, we're not sure whether Paxton saw what she wanted to see (confirming that believing is seeing) or not. Was her hallucination evidence of a belief or a fabricated vision?

Heretic is now in cinemas.