Heretic (II) (2012) User Reviews

I suspect that some of the glowing reviews were written by crew members, or friends of the director

[brendan-821-654855 · 3/10 · 24 January 2014]

No, this not a slow burning horror, it's more like a slow paced attempt at a horror film.

No, there are not lots of scares and moments that will have you jumping out of your seat (there's a few attempts to do this, but none of them actually come off - also, someone needs to tell the director that simply turning up the volume in order to try and scare people is just annoying, especially when you do it over and over again).

No, this film is not well acted. The acting is mostly just okay, but mixed with moments of cringe-worthy acting fails.

No, this film is not well paced - in fact, in several places I almost reached for the remote to hit the fast forward button. The middle section is quite repetitive (for no good reason) with all the various visitors coming and going.

Basically this movie could have been a short film - in fact, it probably should have been - but the decision to extend it's length just turned it into a rather slow and very average attempt at horror.

Like I said earlier, I strongly suspect that the glowing reviews for this film were written by crew members, or friends of the director, because this is definitely not a memorable horror film.

It's a b-grade movie at best, and while there are hints of talent and skill, they are still a wee way off coming to fruition.

slow. smart. boring.

[Patient444 · 4/10 · 26 January 2014]

I gave it a 4! Cause today I am happy and generous!

OK, so it's not a complete waste of time, not your average B movie, more of a C category, could fill up some time if you seriously have nothing better to do, still I wouldn't recommend it. It goes hand in hand with "The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh", a tad bit of a different approach on the Christianity subject, but overall, it will bore you.

So, yeah, try something different this time, as "Heretic" is maybe too slow, maybe lacks a serious budget and the director couldn't fully fulfill his dream, anyway, somewhere, something kinda died. But still, believe it or not, it gets better with time. Not so much a +, more of a...what a beginning.

Heretic, an OK movie, that will disappoint the most!

True heresy committed to film

[bowmanblue · 2/10 · 28 June 2014]

Normally, I try to find something positive to say about a film. Plus, I like to give 'home-grown' (British) films a chance. They don't often have the budgets or stars that their Hollywood counterparts often do. But, if the quality of a film was based on its budget, then Michael Bay would have won every Oscar ever.

Unfortunately, 'Heretic' is basically only slightly better than your average student film. It was made for a mere (in film terms) £30,000 and it shows.

I watch a lot of horror films and I don't expect Oscar-worthy performances, but the acting here is terrible. No, it's worse than terrible. It really is some of the worst performances ever committed to film. It's like no one here is an actor and everyone is just a friend who offered to 'help out' by 'starring' in this low budget flick.

Basically, if it was simply not scary that would be one thing. However, seeing as it's not scary AND pathetically acted then you really want to steer well clear of this abomination. There really isn't anything good to say about it. If you read any 'Five star' reviews then I'll put money on them being written by friends of the film-makers.

http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/

not very good at all but with some moments!

[gareth242000 · 5/10 · 26 January 2014]

This was a strange little film. Obviously made on a low budget and with some serious lack of direction at times but for all its failings it has a couple of good moments in it. The fact the budget was small does mean we don't get loads of awful and completely unjustified and non-scary CGI, so there is some good news!

Without spoiling anything there is obviously a connection to the several recent crimes and unsavoury actions of certain priests, bishops, and others clergymen that should be displaying the best qualities in people, not dwelling into the seedy descent and diabolic degrading going ons they have since been accused of.

Anyway, it reminded me of Angel Heart in some ways but not nearly as good. For me though far more promising than chucky or even the awful insidious 2!

Awful but not bloody

[markastzm · 1/10 · 25 January 2014]

ALL of the good reviews must have been written by cast and crew although they really should distance themselves from this poor attempt at feature film making. Complete waste of time. Classify this as a boring Christian drama rather than a horror genre film. Horror? Really? I concur with another reviewer that this could have been a passable short if done as a film school project, but as a feature film it fails in every way, completely. And, a shout out to the shill reviewers: Why would you even bother hyping this the way you do? Why not just say that this was, in your opinion, a great effort by up and coming film makers to put together a professional quality film on a shoestring budget. I might not agree, but at least there could be some truth to your review. By attempting to hype this bore-fest as anything more than that you do a disservice to both the viewer and the film makers. Overall, a lousy uncompelling story to start with.

Not scary and boring

[msmchug · 1/10 · 24 February 2014]

I don't know why people have said in there reviews that "this is the directors first attempt" because when I'm watching the film I don't care about that. I care about the story and characters, and whether it is good or not. Sorry to say this film had a weak story that was long and painful at times. The film is about a priest locked in a house and his own head who kills everyone and blocks it out his head. He does all of this after a break down and terrible guilt. It's just not believable and it was boring. To get near the end of a film and it's all been in the persons head is always a let down. Lack luster to say the least. Save yourself the time and money. Don't watch this movie

I agree with reviewer Brenden, the 'Glowing' reviews here honestly seem out of place. A genuine effort, but ultimately lacking...

[lathe-of-heaven · 4/10 · 31 January 2014]

I tried, I REALLY tried sitting through this; I normally like religious based Thrillers / Horror films a lot. I'm not saying that the movie is totally awful, by any means. I get the impression that all involved really did try their best, especially the primary actor playing the priest.

It's just that it honestly is not that good. NO WHERE NEAR what these 9 and 10 star reviews are stating, not even close... Heh, along with being seriously annoyed when I see those, I also find it so funny in how transparent they are... 'Hitchcock! Genius!', etc., etc... It's SO funny, if they just didn't go over the top like they do, making the film sound like the next 'Cumming' for God's sake, and assume that we are all impressionable 3 year-olds, and maybe give it 7 stars, just MAYBE some of us just might buy it. But, no... Pretty stupid...

Anyway, I think the idea for the story is fine, but to me anyway, the endless, shallow dialog just doesn't do it. And, come on, having this somewhat seasoned priest saying 'F v< k' every other sentence; really...??? Just straight out dumb...

A GOOD director might have been able to salvage this movie; perhaps adding more subtlety and mood may have given this a decent chance at being a pretty good, entertaining Horror film. So, I feel that the director probably carries the most blame here, particularly in the somewhat stupid, and very common way these characters spoke to one another. Two of MANY examples would be the early discussion between the two priests at the bar (including many laughable 'F v< ks') and the flashback to the confessional with James. I think that the EXACT same thing could have been accomplished, but just a hell of a LOT better! In the first case, couldn't these two 'good friends' have shown a little more realistic concern and believable emotion between them, instead of this superficial, 'When are you gonna treat me as a friend?!' and 'No really,I'm fine'. That's it...? That is supposed to engage us and convince us of how close they are...? Uh huh... And, in the second instance in the confessional, couldn't the director have given that scene (they WERE discussing a VERY serious matter) some REAL bloody WEIGHT...!?? Instead we get, 'Pray to God for help' and the reply, 'F v< k that!'

PLEASE...

I cannot truly recommend this in any way; like I mentioned, it's certainly not the worst movie that I've seen, just one where I feel that a SERIOUS lack of the director's skill in eliciting good performances from the actors GREATLY took away from whatever potential may have been there...

A valiant effort but pretty bad

[jill_grant-rowe · 3/10 · 24 January 2014]

This film was apparently a first time effort for its makers and with that in mind was not too awful…. The acting was not bad, pretty natural in fact, but was not helped by a script that lacked logic and progression and some dodgy direction. Quite often the characters seemed to have forgotten something they said a couple of minutes before and drama was forced into the script rather than created by writing craft and careful direction. This made some of the characters almost unbearable to watch, the policeman for example. The script writer could maybe have researched police procedure, shouting "I am a police officer…" does not grant much at all. The cinematography was professional and the sound track was OK though a little over powering at times.

A priest with a conflict

[irsomPower · 1/10 · 27 January 2014]

Terrible, terrible film. Don't know where the good reviews are coming from, probably very very close relatives of people involved in making this.

Bad script, bad acting, bad plot, bad sets... a waste of time.

I usually don't review films, but this one takes the prize at being so bad, and when I came to IMDb to see what other viewers thought, I found really positive reviews, there is just no way.

There are just no words to describe how bad this is, honest.

It is about a Catholic priest with a moral dilemma: to show people that sins are "bad" or to show a more compassionate view and really counsel his flock. The whole thing is not well done at all with a hint of supernatural badly displayed.

Is God testing him? are ghosts pestering him? is it his own mind playing games?, in the end, you really don't care.

Awful

[crustysaltmerchant · 1/10 · 29 March 2014]

I had never heard of this film but my brother had gave me it in a bagful of DVD's he didn't want. After watching the film it's perfectly clear why he gave it away. It would be a decent student film for a final college piece (It's not even Uni student quality), within the first five minutes there's a whole scene where the cameraman's shadow is clearly seen throughout, add to that boom's in shot, badly recorded sound in places (especially in an early pub scene) and it's very tiring to try and ignore them. The acting is uniformly dreadful throughout but that is also hampered by the excrementally bad script which has huge plot holes and so much exposition that most of the characters spend all their time explaining to each other what's going on rather than reacting to the events as would be natural. Fair play to the cast and crew for getting it made but it's still tosh of lowest order

Watch this film then watch this space...

[thebertster · 8/10 · 13 January 2014]

It's really necessary to watch Heretic on two different levels to fully appreciate what these first-time film-makers have achieved.

In general, Heretic sits just above average in terms of movies of this genre. The story itself is generally well-conceived and nicely paced. It sits firmly in the classic supernatural thriller camp - the relatively small amount of blood and gore is artistically delivered rather than gratuitous, the shocks are infrequent but well-placed and the overall atmosphere is subtly unsettling rather than terrifying, with an original score that complements the visuals throughout.

There are some lovely bits of film making here; there is some wonderful cinematography and some powerful scenes and performances, particularly from Squires and Tait.

There are some rough edges too; visually, some scenes are too dark resulting in some distracting digital artifacts in the DVD version of the film. There are also a few places where the dialogue feels a little unnatural and there are times where the plot seems to take a slightly forced turn.

If that were the end of the matter, Heretic would pass unnoticed as a relatively unremarkable indie-horror amongst many others...but there is another story here which is played out in the DVD audio commentary by the director Peter Handford and producer Bethany Clift.

Rather than the usual scene-by-scene self-congratulatory schmaltz we normally get in a DVD commentary, Heretic's alternative audio track is a mini-documentary, compelling in its own right, describing the journey of this movie from the original idea to its cinema, DVD and online release, through set backs, near disasters, technical problems and logistical nightmares.

Despite all this, thanks to a lot of mucking in by friends and family, a little luck and a lot of very hard work, the entire movie was produced within its original budget of less than £30,000 from start to finish. The commentary explains the reason for some of the rough edges noted above and serves as a fascinating insight into the trials and tribulations of film-making from the point of view of two complete newcomers to the process.

Watch Heretic and enjoy it. Then watch it again with the audio commentary and marvel at what the director, cast and crew have achieved. If they get the proper funding they deserve off the back of this first effort, Handford and Clift's next film is surely going to be something special.

Oh come on!

[tbuckley1975 · 7/10 · 28 January 2014]

Okay, I never normally review stuff on here either but I thought someone had to stick up for this bloody (ha ha!) film! I am not cast or crew member but think some of the reviews on here are being a bit harsh. I agree that is it slow and that isn't your normal horror but I liked the fact it was a bit different and that they have tried to do something different with it although I am not sure it totally works. Also, it is much better than some of the Hollywood stuff I have seen lately (The Purge? Insidious 2? Anyone? Anyone?) and it was made for a lot less money. I don't agree with whoever said the akira kurosawa stuff below (definitely cast or crew or best friend!) but I did enjoy it so I am giving it a 7 because I thought they tried something different and the critics seem to like it so it can't be all that bad. Lots of reviews on here for such a small film though.

Extra point as first time directors but still disappointing

[Jester222 · 4/10 · 3 August 2019]

Some of these reviews are clearly friends of the director or crew. The back of the blu ray said strong gore, violence !?! Where?!........why this film was an 18 I do not know as it's very tame. Some fairly decent acting from this amateur cast. This felt like a short story that was stretched out far too long.

Bonus point for the gorgeous female leads. Especially the flirty blonde with the vodka. Swiiiing. Ha ha.

Am I being heretical when I disagree with the bad reviews?

[natashabowiepinky · 5/10 · 8 March 2014]

Okay, so maybe the acting leaves something to be desired, and everything taking place more-or-less in a small house tells you there may have been slight budgetary issues, but for the most part this is a perfectly acceptable slab of horror, as long as you don't go in expecting the next Exorcist.

The way the story unfolds through flashbacks and present day events until the final twist is reasonably successful, and stopped me from looking at the time even ONCE... which is more than can be said for others of it's ilk of late. It gets pretty gruesome too later on... as long as you're patient enough to hang on that long (pun intended).

It's FAR from perfect, but it'll do. For now... 5/10

Hollywood awaits...

[dbutler103 · 9/10 · 19 January 2014]

I'm not 'THAT' guy'...

I don't review films that I've seen, generally because... well, i'm lazy. However, after viewing 'Heretic' I felt compelled to say something because, well because it really is 'THAT' good!

Well crafted, smartly filmed, tightly scripted, ominously gripping and most importantly... consistently frightening, with welcome moments of levity and black humour which lighten the sombre tone.

This slow burning directorial horror debut will have you wringing your hands, holding your breath and inhaling sharply when you witness that final 'reveal'.

Kurosawa, Del Toro.... Handford!!

See the original now before the inevitable Hollywood remake.

Shock! Horror!

[jcrawshaw · 7/10 · 29 January 2014]

Whining horror fans – woo woo! So its got less blood? So its a little slower? Who cares?! Cost me £3.50 and past two hours while I had beers so I'm not going to complain. I do agree with the bloke below about all the reviews though. It's a 30grand film and it didn't even go to the cinema and there's a lot of reviews on here for it. On a side note this whole ten lines of text for a review thing is stupid and does my nut in so i am hoping that breaks count because otherwise i am going to struggle...

Turns out that breaks don't count so i am going to have to keep writing. i don't get it? shortly a short pithy review is better than rambling?

heretic

[cpeden89 · 9/10 · 24 January 2014]

I think this was a well put together film, worth the watch, I would recommend any time. I only scored a 9 as i believe that horror films should have blood and gore and this was some what low on this but a great film none the less.

The actors/actress did a great job although I cant say I've seen them in any other films but i cant see it being long if they have not been so already.Also great ending it wasn't one of those lets leave it hanging so we can make a remake if need too". It was (all around) a very good movie and it was very well put together story line.

so that's my review and I hope it helps you make up your mind about watching this film,cheers for reading conner

Excellent low budget horror

[sjp041981 · 7/10 · 4 February 2014]

As a low budget horror film I thought this was well shot and had a good plot. The suspense kept me interested and I thought some of the effects were good. I'm not sure why people are saying this is the worst horror film ever seen because Jeepers Creepers is the worst horror I've seen, and that had a Hollywood budget.

Some of the acting was a little suspect but the script was well put together and it was well directed.

This film reminded me of The Shining and I will be recommending it to my friends who are also horror fans.

I look forward to the next one from Mod Scientist.

A priest in over his head.

[gileslambertnash · 8/10 · 4 February 2013]

Gripping, scary and with a great twist. It's a slow burn but packs a punch. Well worth a watch for true horror fans with a thirst for blood and thrills – not to mention a few scantily clad hotties being cut down in the prime of life. A priest with a dark past returns to his parish to face his parishioners but soon gets embroiled in a beyond the grave revenge from a young girl who committed suicide because he was unable to save her. Creepy jumps and shadows aplenty. Some really good jump out of your seat moment. Locked in isolated house by dark forces, it's not long before everyone inside meets an unpleasant end. Complete with a 'didn't see it coming' twist, Heretic is a great British horror thriller that delivers more than enough bloody thirsty ends for its poor unsuspecting victims. But is all what it seems to be

A great modern day ghost tales

[FinalGuyHorror · 7/10 · 8 February 2016]

Britain has a great tradition of ghost stories. Our rainy isle seems to be the inspiration for countless supernatural shenanigans, and our history of great spooky storytellers, both in literature and on the silver screen, is as long as it is distinguished. Now looking to join those hallowed halls is Heretic, a psychological ghost tale from esteemed indie film label 101 films and writer/director Peter Handford.

Father James Pallister (Andrew Squires) is a catholic priest haunted by his own failure to protect Claire (Jen Nelson), a young, vulnerable girl who committed suicide shortly after seeking his help. With his faith shaken and alcohol as his only crutch James is forced to return to his old parish when the girl's stepfather dies in similarly self inflicted circumstances. But when James becomes trapped in the derelict house where the girl took her life he starts to see visions and ghosts of mistakes past. With both Claire and her stepfather seemingly seeking revenge for their fates James must try and escape the old mansion before their final resting place becomes his own.

With all of the classic ghost story elements in place (small sleepy village, eerie house and a tragic death), Heretic is a quintessential tale of guilt, remorse and revenge from beyond the grave. While it sticks to the conventions of this genre for the most part there is enough variety to avoid the whole film feeling stale, with the religious themes in particular likely to inspire introspective and debate once the lights have come back on. Peter Handford should be commended for shunning modern horror's obsession with the jump scare for a slow burning tension that subtly draws the viewer in, with the on screen action playing out like an adaptation of an M.R. James or Susan Hill story before dovetailing into a more visceral, psychological thriller in the final act.

While the majority of the cast are solid Andrew Squires deserves a special mention for his accurate and engaging portrayal of the inner turmoil of a man struggling with both a crisis of faith and his own guilt over the death of his young charge. For the majority of the file James is a quiet and subdued character but Squires still manages to bring a great deal to the role, leaving you with the impression that the young priest was struggling with his faith long before Claire decided to kill herself. The cinematography is good throughout and we are never quite sure which of the visions are actually happening and which are simply in the young priest's head, and both the score and the editing are top notch. The story proceeds at a good pace and does an excellent job of filling in more details as things progress, drip feeding just enough information to keep the audience interested while keeping enough back to add a sting in the tail.

Unfortunately, by the time the twist does come, things have become a little convoluted. A few strange coincidences and narrative devices are employed to drive the film onto its conclusion, and while Heretic is certainly not the first horror to stumble in the final third (and is by no means the worst offender) it's a shame that such a well crafted and atmospheric story is let down by a slightly heavy handed finale. Some may also find the opening thirty minutes a little slow if used to faster paced horror fare.

Straddling the line between psychological horror and old fashioned ghost story, Heretic is a tragic tale of repressed anger and lost hate that will stick with you long after the credits roll. Taking the viewer through a journey through faith, loss, revenge and the limits of conscience this will hopefully be remembered as a great modern day ghost tales.

Pound for pound, best horror since Paranormal Activity

[kev-bagnall · 9/10 · 13 January 2014]

To start off with, the reviewer above must have been watching a different film. Or is a bitter ex production member.

Heretic is not only a horror but a bloody good horror (excuse the pun). It is nice to see a young team of British film makers working hard to go back to basics and really grasp the scare factor instead of trying to make a mockney gangster flick.

Pound for pound, this is the best movie that I have seen since Paranormal activity and, albeit a gradual start, it really unfolds in to a shocking and terrifying finale.

I liked it for it's realism - the writing and acting was perfectly executed as sometimes (British) films can try to emulate 'Hollywood' jargon which doesn't really translate. The rules of horror were followed and it was apparent through some of the dialogue that the writer was also parodying horror with tongue in cheek references.

It also had scantily clad beauties (who were obviously put to the sword).

If I had one minor fault against the film, it would be that the ending was slightly TOO explained, it could have been left a little more ambiguous and let the audience work things out for themselves. The priest didn't need to say as much as he did to himself to explain the twist. This is only a subjective view as I felt myself saying 'ahhhhhhh' a couple of minutes before he explained that it was him who was the killer.

Overall, a kick ass movie and I look forward to the next film from these young and inspiring film makers.

Another solid British Effort

[gonefishing351 · 6/10 · 22 March 2014]

Horror or supernatural films are mostly churned out from the shock stock of Hollywood and are wall to wall splatter and screaming. Not this, this is a solid effort that develops tension with a soundtrack and effects to match. No hysterical 19 year old college girls and no soon to be dismembered 21 year old college jocks! Just a story that is most likely something the Catholic priesthood deals with all too often and it is ably presented with believable characterizations and solid efforts from all cast members, you don't need 30 million to make a good movie, this proves that! I found it easy to sustain once the DVD started and there was no need to pause or rewind, all parts were distinctly putting their roles to the viewer and allows you to absorb the story as it moves along, no need for juicy gore filled splatter to keep you interested and the sound effects and background music did lend a lot of scenes that extra dose of trepidation and anticipation. I would watch this again some years down the track if the church is still showing the world it hasn't evolved and I need reminding of what peoples faiths can consist of!