On a stormy evening, two Mormon missionaries, Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes, are doing their usual door-to-door work spreading their faith when they arrive at Mr. Reed’s house. The encounter begins innocently enough, with the young missionaries attempting to share their message about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before entering the house, they ensure Mr. Reed’s wife is home, as per their safety protocols. He assures them she is and promises them fresh blueberry pie, though his wife remains unseen throughout their visit.

As they settle into conversation, Mr. Reed demonstrates an unusual depth of knowledge about Mormonism and religious history in general. He engages them in increasingly complex discussions about faith, raising challenging questions about religious history and belief systems. The initially comfortable atmosphere gradually transforms into something more unsettling as Mr. Reed reveals himself to be both highly intelligent and subtly manipulative. He draws fascinating but disturbing parallels between different religions, comparing them to iterations of board games like Monopoly and popular songs that build upon previous versions, suggesting that all religions are just variations of older beliefs.

The evening takes a sinister turn when Mr. Reed announces he wants to show them what he calls a miracle. He introduces them to a woman he refers to as “the Prophet” and proceeds to serve her pie that he admits contains wolf’s bane and belladonna – deadly poisons. The missionaries are forced to watch helplessly as the woman dies, only to apparently resurrect moments later. In her brief return, the Prophet speaks cryptically about a conductor, white clouds, and most importantly, that “it is not real.” This event marks the point where the missionaries realize they’re in serious danger, but escape proves impossible.

When an Elder from their church comes looking for them, Mr. Reed handles the situation with disturbing smoothness, casually dismissing him at the door. The missionaries discover they’re trapped – their bikes have mysteriously disappeared, and Mr. Reed claims the front door operates on a timer lock system. In what becomes a twisted psychological experiment, Mr. Reed forces them to choose between two doors – one representing belief and one representing disbelief. This choice leads them into a basement area where they make a horrifying discovery: multiple women, similar to the Prophet, being held captive in various states of consciousness.

The situation becomes even more complex when Mr. Reed makes a shocking claim about Sister Barnes, declaring that she isn’t real but rather a “program.” He attempts to prove this by cutting into her arm and extracting what he claims is an implant. During this violent act, Sister Barnes appears to die, leaving Sister Paxton alone with their captor. However, as the tension builds, Sister Paxton begins to unravel the intricate web of manipulation Mr. Reed has woven. She realizes he had orchestrated every detail of their experience from the moment they arrived, including stealing their bike key to prevent escape and deliberately placing it in the wrong coat pocket to demonstrate his complete control over their actions.

During their final confrontation, Mr. Reed reveals his twisted philosophy: that religion itself is merely a system of control, and he has been demonstrating this by controlling every aspect of their experience in his house. He takes pride in explaining how he could predict their every move because they’ve been conditioned by religious beliefs since childhood. His arrogance becomes his downfall when he mockingly references their “magic underwear” (a derogatory term for Mormon garments), triggering Sister Paxton to stab him with a box cutter.

What follows is a tense struggle for survival. Though wounded, Mr. Reed continues to pursue Sister Paxton through the house. In a moment of desperation, she begins to pray, which prompts Mr. Reed to launch into a final monologue about “the great prayer experiment” that supposedly proved prayer’s ineffectiveness. He speaks about how beautiful it is that people continue to pray despite knowing it doesn’t work, revealing a strange mix of cynicism and appreciation for human nature. However, his philosophical musings are cut short when Sister Barnes, who wasn’t actually dead, returns to deliver the final, fatal blow.

The conclusion shows Sister Paxton emerging from the house alone, leaving viewers to wonder about Sister Barnes’s fate – whether she succumbed to her wounds or chose to stay behind to help the other captive women. The film ends with a haunting rendition of “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” inviting viewers to contemplate deeper questions about faith, control, and free will.

Throughout the narrative, Mr. Reed serves as a dark reflection of religious authority figures. While criticizing religious institutions for their controlling nature, he employs the same tactics of manipulation and control, creating a disturbing parallel between his actions and the systems he condemns. The film masterfully explores themes of religious trauma, the complex relationship between faith and control, and the strength required to maintain individual autonomy in the face of manipulation.

The story also delves into the psychological aspects of belief and control. Mr. Reed’s elaborate setup, from the poisoned pie to the staged resurrection, demonstrates how easily faith can be manipulated through carefully orchestrated experiences. His obsession with proving that religion is a control system ironically leads him to create his own twisted version of religious authority, complete with followers (his captives) and miracles (the staged deaths and resurrections).

The film raises numerous questions that remain open to interpretation. The ambiguous nature of Sister Barnes’s character – whether she was real or, as Mr. Reed claimed, some kind of program – adds a layer of psychological complexity to the story. The fate of the other women in the basement remains uncertain, leaving viewers to wonder about the full extent of Mr. Reed’s operations. Perhaps most importantly, the movie asks whether Sister Paxton’s survival was due to her faith or her ability to finally break free from controlling influences.

These ambiguities contribute to the psychological horror of the film, challenging viewers to question their own beliefs and the nature of religious faith versus manipulation. The movie suggests that true faith might not be about blind obedience to authority but rather about maintaining one’s moral compass and individual agency even in the face of manipulation and control.

The film also explores the idea of iteration and repetition in both religious and personal contexts. Just as Mr. Reed points out how religions build upon and borrow from each other, the characters find themselves in cycles of control and resistance. The repeated deaths and resurrections of the Prophet and other women serve as a dark mirror to religious concepts of rebirth and salvation, while also highlighting the cyclical nature of abuse and control.

In the end, “Heretic” proves to be more than just a horror film about religious manipulation. It’s a complex examination of faith, free will, and the human capacity for both cruelty and resistance. The movie suggests that while systems of control – religious or otherwise – may be powerful, individual agency and authentic belief can ultimately triumph over manipulation and coercion.

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