SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A24’s new film “Heretic” is a horror film centered around two sister missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who unknowingly knock on the wrong door, unleashing a terrifying thriller. It’s now out in theaters for Utah audiences to form their own opinions about — but some local audiences got a sneak peek last weekend.
In a genius marketing opportunity by A24, a unique set of screenings happened in the Beehive state that featured none other than “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” Whitney Rose, and “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” Whitney Leavitt.
Attendees were split into two different “Heretic” screenings, one of them labeled “Belief” and the other “Disbelief”. This refers to the film in which Mr. Reed (played by Hugh Grant) gives the two sister missionaries the same choice to escape his game of cat-and-mouse.
Audiences did not know which Whitney would appear at their screenings, and ABC4’s Film Critic Patrick Beatty was lucky enough to not only reveal which Whitney belonged to each theater, but also to find out more from both reality stars as to why they chose to do the special event and what the film means to them.
Both reflected on their thoughts upon initially seeing the film’s trailer.
“When I first saw the trailer, I related to it a lot because I served a mission in Atlanta, Georgia. I resonated with the fear of knocking on random people’s doors and introducing a religion that I believe in to just complete strangers. Then towards the end of the trailer, obviously, I wanted to know what happened,” Leavitt said.
Rose echoed a similar sentiment.
“I resonated full-heartedly with it. I have a lot of family members that have served missions, but through my own religious journey and finding my way out of religion, I was thinking ‘Finally, someone is talking about the thing that we all think about a lot, but don’t talk about,'” Rose said.
Leavitt and Rose also commented on what stood out to them about ‘Heretic’ after seeing the full film, Leavitt saying she loved seeing Hugh Grant’s performance.
“I loved it specifically when you watch the film, he (Grant) gives an analogy about different religions in the world today, and I was like, ‘He’s exactly right.’ I resonate with it, and when you watch the show, obviously you’ll see that analogy. But that was probably my favorite part, is the analogy that he gave about all the different religions that we have here in the world today,” Leavitt said.
Whitney Rose dived deeper into the psychological aspects of the film.
“I think that the writers and directors did a brilliant job of using both horror, psychological warfare, truth, and drama to paint a picture of what it’s like to really be trapped inside of your own head as you’re challenging your own belief system and religion,” Rose said.
Rose also praised the work of actresses Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East on their realistic portrayal of sister missionaries.
“I love the sister missionaries, and I think that Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East inspired me. I loved watching them go from seemingly helpless, and vulnerable to smart and dependent. And they ended up, you know, well, I won’t ruin it. I love them end up challenging Mr. Reed,” she shared.
As both are a part of the Utah entertainment cultural conversation with “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City”, Beatty asked about how “Heretic” may be joining that discussion.
“I think it’s cool that Utah is on the radar. I’ve always said, Salt Lake City is one of the best-kept secrets. Everyone’s finding out about it, so stop moving here,” she said with a smile. “But I think it’s an honor for us to be able to represent our community and our culture. I think our shows are both based on drama, so you don’t get the behind-the-look of religion, where “Heretic” really peels back the layers and maybe helps you understand more of why us women are the way we are.”
Leavitt added:
“I think whether you are Mormon or non-Mormon, we have this idea of what Mormons are. In the ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’ and I also feel like in ‘The Secret Life of Mormon Wives”, you get a different perspective, and then you’ll also get a different perspective when you watch the movie ‘Heretic.'”
Find “Heretic” at a theater near you. You can check out Patrick’s interviews with the cast and directors, and his review by visiting See It or Skip It.
Note: See It or Skip It is proudly owned and produced by Patrick Beatty. ABC4 is a broadcast partner, but the show, its content, and opinions are independently created.
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