Tribune religion reporter, film critic give their take on ‘Heretic’ | Episode 364

Listener alert • Be advised that while we strived to keep spoilers to a minimum, the discussion reveals some elements from the film. So, if you plan to see “Heretic,” you may want to view the movie first, and then go to our podcast.

Two female missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints enter the home of “Mr. Reed,” apparently a welcoming seeker with, it turns out, his own marked-up copy of the Book of Mormon, the faith’s foundational scripture.

Could this be a heaven-sent “golden contact” eager to embrace the Latter-day Saint gospel? Hardly. The young proselytizers have instead begun a hellish descent into the dungeonous world of a bright but demented psychopath determined to test their religion — and all religions — in a terrorizing contest between belief and disbelief.

Therein lies the heart of “Heretic,” the new psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant and due out in theaters nationwide this week.

The film already has earned praise from some reviewers, drawn criticism from the church, and spurred flashbacks to real-life frightening moments among former missionaries.

The week’s show focuses on the merits and demerits of “Heretic” as both a movie, with our longtime film critic Sean P. Means, and as an argument for and against religion, with our award-winning faith reporter Peggy Fletcher Stack.