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Heretic ending explained: What does Hugh Grant’s Mr. Reed want?

Nov 1, 2024

Heretic ending explained: What does Hugh Grant’s Mr. Reed want?

As a seasoned moviegoer who has witnessed countless horror flicks and thrillers, I must say that “Heretic” is a chilling masterpiece that leaves one with a profound sense of unease long after the credits roll. Hugh Grant’s performance as Mr. Reed is nothing short of mesmerizing, as he skillfully portrays a character who is both charming and terrifying in equal measure.

In this chilling new horror flick titled “Heretic,” renowned actor Hugh Grant takes on an unnerving antagonist part unlike any he’s played before. Discover the sinister intentions of his character toward the Mormon Sisters who unexpectedly visit him, and witness how these plans unfold.

The film “Heretic” has been earning praise during its run on the festival circuit, particularly for Hugh Grant’s exceptional portrayal of the enigmatic character, Mr. Reed.

At Fantastic Fest, we watched the movie, and in our Heretic review, we noted that “Hugh Grant’s exceptional acting skills make the character both appealing, unsettling, and scary, often within the span of just a few phrases.

Currently showing in UK theaters, let me share some insights about Mr. Reed’s current endeavors, and whether he will be successful. Here comes the spoiler territory:

Mr. Reed’s plan in Heretic explained

Initiates a narrative involving two young members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister East (Chloe Paxton), as they approach the home of an individual who has shown curiosity about this faith, seeking to share its teachings.

Mr. Reed, appearing as a polite man, opens the door, welcoming the ladies inside, all the while stating that his wife is nearby, preparing a pie in another room.

As they come in, the girls start instructing Reed on the customs of their faith. However, he poses queries meant to test their convictions, causing what initially seemed like a casual religious chat to escalate into an intense theological argument.

It swiftly becomes evident that there’s no wife hiding outside, and the women are imprisoned within Mr. Reed’s residence – apparently to demonstrate his belief: that dominance is the one genuine faith. Soon enough, their captor resorts to brutality to drive home this belief.

Do Sister Barnes and Sister East survive Heretic?

Only Sister Paxton survives the events of Heretic, with Sister Barnes dying in Mr Reed’s basement.

Heretic ending explained: What does Hugh Grant’s Mr. Reed want?

In an attempt to challenge Sister Barnes’ beliefs, Mr. Reed resorted to saying things like, “I can prove the existence of God, if you’re ready to die,” and ended up stabbing her severely, effectively leaving her for dead.

While Sister Paxton, in the meantime, discovers several women imprisoned in cages – a sign of Reed’s dominance. However, Reed encounters more resistance from her, as she ends up stabbing Reed prior to attempting an escape from his nightmare abode.

However, it’s a labyrinth below, and Reed eventually reaches Paxton. Struggling due to his neck injury, he approaches her with a somewhat ironic plea for prayer. She grants this request, providing him with a moment to attack – but before he can plunge the knife into her throat, Barnes unexpectedly revives and bashes him over the head with a spiked bat instead.

Her revival is brief; she passes away soon after. Paxton manages an escape, clambering out a window into the frosty daylight and sprinting through the snowfall. Pausing to regain breath, a butterfly alights on her fingertips before taking flight once more, leaving her isolated yet significantly still breathing.

Did Sister Barnes come back to life?

Sister Barnes did not experience a resurrection; instead, it seemed as though she had bled profusely and died when Mr. Reed inflicted the throat wound upon her. However, to our surprise, she was actually still alive, barely hanging on.

As a gamer, it’s hard not to question if she found some secret trick to revive herself, considering the bizarre events unfolding in the movie earlier. When we ventured into the basement, Mr. Reed made us watch an extraordinary scene: a woman held captive who ate a lethal pie, fell unconscious, and then astonishingly rose from the dead.

It seems that Mr. Reed had merely swapped their bodies as a demonstration of his belief in control, not for any supernatural reason. In truth, Barnes was very near death, but she mustered every last bit of her strength to rescue Paxton before passing away.

What did the butterfly mean?

The butterfly on Paxton’s finger was a nod to one of Mr Reed’s scenes earlier in Heretic, where he outlined the theory of the “butterfly dream.”

In ancient China, the philosopher Chuang Tzu once had a dream where he believed himself to be a butterfly, fluttering from blossom to blossom and experiencing freedom as he was carried along by the wind’s gentle gusts. According to the Philosophy Foundation, this is how Chuang Tzu described his dream state.

“He was quite sure that he was a butterfly. But when he awoke he realized that he had just been dreaming, and that he was really Chuang Tzu dreaming he was a butterfly. But then Chuang Tzu asked himself the following question: ‘Was I Chuang Tzu dreaming I was a butterfly or am I now really a butterfly dreaming that I am Chuang Tzu?’

Upon my first arrival at Mr. Reed’s residence, I shared an intriguing wish – should I find myself reborn, it would be as a delicate butterfly. My days would be spent fluttering through the air, alighting momentarily on the hands of those whom I held dear.

When a butterfly lands on her fingertip, it serves as a subtle reminder of how the film’s events might have influenced her views on God and life’s purpose; it could symbolize Barnes’ resurrected soul, or simply be a random butterfly encounter.

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2024-11-01 17:18