Heretic Movie

[Evil Monkey]

Hey everyone,
I logged on this morning curious if any NOMs have seen the new LDS Religious Thriller Heretic:

https://youtu.be/jpWUOxRozZg?si=bYiSw4TM36h-izJU

From everything I have seen online about the premise seems right down our alley with three central characters...one a Born Under the Covenant TBM Sister Missionary, her companion who is a convert who went on her mission with doubts/questions about the Church that she hoped her mission would help answer, and a Faith Eccentric Psychopath that wants to test the very nature of religious belief with Human Guinea Pigs. Not that I ever went through anything this dramatic but I definitely had some faith traps that were set for me and other Elders in my mission. Never this extreme but it feels realer than you would think. Anyone see it? I haven't but as a MAX subscription holder I assume it will eventually make its way there to MAX,s A24 collection.

Anyone seen it? Thoughts?

[Red Ryder]

Sister Ryder and I went to see it the other night. Here’s my thoughts. (And for the record, I really shouldnt label her “Sister Ryder” anymore. She’s been down the rabbit hole, ditched the garmies… and has become a beautiful questioning soul who has had her whole life and world view upended. Perhaps that’s a much needed update story for another time.)

Here’s my thoughts on the movie.

It was both excellent and cheesy at the same time. I highly recommend going to see it.

We get a gratuitous garment flash when some ladies come across the sister missionaries and ask for a picture. One of them pulls the skirt of sister Paxton down and we see the polyester polygamy pantaloons.

The plot follows the traditional horror movie setup, aligned with Exmormon Reddit, making sure that Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) lets the sister missionaries in. He aligns his interest in the church enough that the sister missionaries teach him the first discussion. Technically speaking, the actresses nail it, although the dark haired convert missionary has zero light and countenance. She misses the familiar naïveté that all sister missionaries have.

I loved the part where he compared monopoly games over time as the same Christian narrative. Same with the song and music.

From a pure religious believer vs. unbeliever standpoint; I felt the plot required someone to decide which side (door) they were on. Ironically, within the movie they both ended in the same result.

At this point, the movie turned cheesy for me. The horror genre took over and the blueberry pie eating prophet just became stupid. I do wonder if there was intentional symbolism from the old temple days with the slit throat and slit stomach. But I don’t wish to add spoilers.

Overall, I thought it was entertaining. They nailed the Mormon part within 90% accuracy other than the one elder who came looking for them. Where the heck was his companion??

I give it 9 out of 10.

[Ghost]

I've been looking forward to this one and plan to watch it later this week with a (still fully active) friend. Glad to hear it's worth seeing.

[Evil Monkey]

Sister Ryder and I went to see it the other night. Here’s my thoughts. (And for the record, I really shouldnt label her “Sister Ryder” anymore. She’s been down the rabbit hole, ditched the garmies… and has become a beautiful questioning soul who has had her whole life and world view upended. Perhaps that’s a much needed update story for another time.)

Here’s my thoughts on the movie.

It was both excellent and cheesy at the same time. I highly recommend going to see it.

We get a gratuitous garment flash when some ladies come across the sister missionaries and ask for a picture. One of them pulls the skirt of sister Paxton down and we see the polyester polygamy pantaloons.

The plot follows the traditional horror movie setup, aligned with Exmormon Reddit, making sure that Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) lets the sister missionaries in. He aligns his interest in the church enough that the sister missionaries teach him the first discussion. Technically speaking, the actresses nail it, although the dark haired convert missionary has zero light and countenance. She misses the familiar naïveté that all sister missionaries have.

I loved the part where he compared monopoly games over time as the same Christian narrative. Same with the song and music.

From a pure religious believer vs. unbeliever standpoint; I felt the plot required someone to decide which side (door) they were on. Ironically, within the movie they both ended in the same result.

At this point, the movie turned cheesy for me. The horror genre took over and the blueberry pie eating prophet just became stupid. I do wonder if there was intentional symbolism from the old temple days with the slit throat and slit stomach. But I don’t wish to add spoilers.

Overall, I thought it was entertaining. They nailed the Mormon part within 90% accuracy other than the one elder who came looking for them. Where the heck was his companion??

I give it 9 out of 10.

This is great news. I was really hoping it would be good. Thanks for the non spoiler review. Much appreciated.

[Evil Monkey]

I've been looking forward to this one and plan to watch it later this week with a (still fully active) friend. Glad to hear it's worth seeing.

Please let us know how your active friend reacts to the movie. I know this type of movie is right in the NOM and Ex Mormon wheelhouse. But I am very interested to see what open minded yet active members will think of this movie. If I am not mistaken movies that have portrayed LDS missionaries with absolutely no connection to the LDS church can be counted on only one hand. Only one comes to mind (Trey Parker's Orgazmo...the same Trey Parker behind the Book of Mormon musical). Hope to hear more on this. Don't watch to many movies in theaters anymore. Streaming subscriptions have taken there place for me. So I'll anxiously wait for it on MAX.

[Evil Monkey]

I've been looking forward to this one and plan to watch it later this week with a (still fully active) friend. Glad to hear it's worth seeing.

Please let us know how your active friend reacts to the movie. I know this type of movie is right in the NOM and Ex Mormon wheelhouse. But I am very interested to see what open minded yet active members will think of this movie. If I am not mistaken movies that have portrayed LDS missionaries with absolutely no connection to the LDS church can be counted on only one hand. Only one comes to mind (Trey Parker's Orgazmo...the same Trey Parker behind the Book of Mormon musical). Hope to hear more on this. Don't watch to many movies in theaters anymore. Streaming subscriptions have taken there place for me. So I'll anxiously wait for it on MAX.

I just thought of a LDS Missionary film I wasn't sure about Other Side of Heaven...but I looked it up and it was distributed by Excel Entertainment Group which is a subsidiary of Deseret Book. So that ones out. Im curious if anyone can name any others without LDS ties.

[Just This Guy]

I just thought of a LDS Missionary film I wasn't sure about Other Side of Heaven...but I looked it up and it was distributed by Excel Entertainment Group which is a subsidiary of Deseret Book. So that ones out. Im curious if anyone can name any others without LDS ties.

Orgasmo?

[Evil Monkey]

I just thought of a LDS Missionary film I wasn't sure about Other Side of Heaven...but I looked it up and it was distributed by Excel Entertainment Group which is a subsidiary of Deseret Book. So that ones out. Im curious if anyone can name any others without LDS ties.

Orgasmo?

Sorry I guess I was dating myself... thought most people on this forum would be familiar with Trey Parker's (South Park fame) Orgazmo. I have no idea if it was popular or not. I thought it was funny as hell but I saw it weeks after returning from my mission so the humor really resonated with me. Here's the trailer.

https://youtu.be/Ok-rhTZK0kE?si=TC7TIGRiQbE4YR7j

[moksha]

I'm curious if anyone can name any others without LDS ties.

God's Army by Richard Dutcher.


As they said at Golgotha, "Always look on the bright side of life".

[Evil Monkey]

I'm curious if anyone can name any others without LDS ties.

God's Army by Richard Dutcher.


As they said at Golgotha, "Always look on the bright side of life".

I thought about that one as well but just like Other Side of Heaven it was distributed by Excel Entertainment which is a subsidiary of Deseret Book. Both of which were heavily sold at Deseret Books when they released on VHS/DVD. Heretic will not be on Deseret bookshelves and it is not produced or distributed by a part of the church. I was trying to think of secular films about LDS Missionaries that were not marketed or distributed by a subsidiary arm of the LDS Church.

[Evil Monkey]

I'm curious if anyone can name any others without LDS ties.

God's Army by Richard Dutcher.


As they said at Golgotha, "Always look on the bright side of life".

I thought about that one as well but just like Other Side of Heaven it was distributed by Excel Entertainment which is a subsidiary of Deseret Book. Both of which were heavily sold at Deseret Books when they released on VHS/DVD. Heretic will not be on Deseret bookshelves and it is not produced or distributed by a part of the church. I was trying to think of secular films about LDS Missionaries that were not marketed or distributed by a subsidiary arm of the LDS Church.

Movies like The R.M. and the Singles Ward ultimately are controlled/distributed by Deseret Book. In the end I see movies like that as Propaganda of the church. It is a nice change to see other complete outsiders interested in exploring LDS culture. Trey Parker is the only other one till now that I knew of that was not afraid of making fun of the LDS Church (Orgazmo, the Book of Mormon Musical and even one episode of South Park entirely dedicated to discussing the LDS churches origins).

https://youtu.be/XWoePkBt31g?si=dVPo-eR9qGD0qlOR

[Evil Monkey]

I was just looking at YouTube for active LDS reviews/reactions to Heretic. Found a few but I won't share the links as they all contained Spoilers. Watched brief non spoiler parts of the same videos. They definitely seem negative reactions towards the movie. In my experience every time an outsider shares there view on the church it is seen by active members as Anti-Mormon. I did think of a series not a movie that delves into the LDS church. Although I don't think LDS missionaries are directly discussed and that was the Under the Banner of Heaven series on Hulu.

https://youtu.be/CYcfxntNrNk?si=YIqxq8SvTIemd08r

[Just This Guy]

I have seen one Mormon reviewer claim it is full of anti-Mormon and anti-Christen materiel and had a predictable negative rating. I was tempted to ask exactly what parts of the movie were not accurate about Mormon theology and if he could cite any sources for it, but I don't know if I have the brain power and time for the inevitable persecution complex.

One thing I do find funny. What ever happened to the idea that you shouldn't watch R rated movies? Why are Mormons watching a movie like this to begin with?

[Evil Monkey]

I have seen one Mormon reviewer claim it is full of anti-Mormon and anti-Christen materiel and had a predictable negative rating. I was tempted to ask exactly what parts of the movie were not accurate about Mormon theology and if he could cite any sources for it, but I don't know if I have the brain power and time for the inevitable persecution complex.

One thing I do find funny. What ever happened to the idea that you shouldn't watch R rated movies? Why are Mormons watching a movie like this to begin with?

I was thinking about the exact same thing after my last post. This is tantamount to a kid in Primary ratting on another kid for having there eyes open during the prayer. Translation: they saw the trailer and couldn't wait to troll it. Cause how dare an outsider write a non propaganda story about the Church. I mean come on we have had all sorts of religious horrors for the Catholic and even Jewish faiths. This is the first crack at a Mormon horror. And active Mormons are lining up to troll it. If active Mormons want to be treated like a mainstream religion they need to quit responding like a cult when someone writes a creative story about there faith.

[Just This Guy]

It is interesting how TMBs react to Mormonism in the Cinema and how that has evolved.

When The Singles Ward came out, it was generally loved by TBMs because it had an overall positive message about Mormonism and the fact that a movie about Mormons got wide release. I recall God's Army also was generally liked.

You had a string of various Mormon movies for a while.

Brigham City
The RM
The Home Teachers
Mobsters & Mormons

I recall Brigham city just being a really heavy movie and not overly popular. The RM was considered dumb fun. People were generally disappointed in The Home Teachers and Mobsters & Mormons because they were just bad movies.

Fast forward 20 odd years and Mormons tend to not like any of them. God's Army because it actually depicts a semi-realistc mission experience and not the Happy-Go-Lucky view of church propaganda. Singles Wards for not being pure sales pitch and daring to make fun of thinks like rushing into relationships, or people who take church and the culture too seriously.

So I find it interesting. Mormons have basically given up on trying to make Mormon based movies with mainstream appeal. So when someone dares to make a movies from an outside Mormonism view, they get all up in arms. Well Mormons, you are free to try and do better yourselves. The fact that they are not even trying I think say a lot about how Mormons actually view their religion and how they think the public perceives them.

[Ghost]

In my opinion, the best thing by far to come out of that Mormon movie window was the sequel to God's Army, States of Grace.

https://letterboxd.com/film/gods-army-2 ... -of-grace/

I've just about given up hope on seeing Dutcher's Falling, but I'll be happy if it appears one day.

https://letterboxd.com/film/falling-2008/

[2bizE]

I've been looking forward to this one and plan to watch it later this week with a (still fully active) friend. Glad to hear it's worth seeing.

Please let us know how your active friend reacts to the movie. I know this type of movie is right in the NOM and Ex Mormon wheelhouse. But I am very interested to see what open minded yet active members will think of this movie. If I am not mistaken movies that have portrayed LDS missionaries with absolutely no connection to the LDS church can be counted on only one hand. Only one comes to mind (Trey Parker's Orgazmo...the same Trey Parker behind the Book of Mormon musical). Hope to hear more on this. Don't watch to many movies in theaters anymore. Streaming subscriptions have taken there place for me. So I'll anxiously wait for it on MAX.

I just thought of a LDS Missionary film I wasn't sure about Other Side of Heaven...but I looked it up and it was distributed by Excel Entertainment Group which is a subsidiary of Deseret Book. So that ones out. Im curious if anyone can name any others without LDS ties.

One documentary that was excellent on Netflix (I believe) was the one about Hoffman and his forgeries.

[Evil Monkey]

Please let us know how your active friend reacts to the movie. I know this type of movie is right in the NOM and Ex Mormon wheelhouse. But I am very interested to see what open minded yet active members will think of this movie. If I am not mistaken movies that have portrayed LDS missionaries with absolutely no connection to the LDS church can be counted on only one hand. Only one comes to mind (Trey Parker's Orgazmo...the same Trey Parker behind the Book of Mormon musical). Hope to hear more on this. Don't watch to many movies in theaters anymore. Streaming subscriptions have taken there place for me. So I'll anxiously wait for it on MAX.

I just thought of a LDS Missionary film I wasn't sure about Other Side of Heaven...but I looked it up and it was distributed by Excel Entertainment Group which is a subsidiary of Deseret Book. So that ones out. Im curious if anyone can name any others without LDS ties.

One documentary that was excellent on Netflix (I believe) was the one about Hoffman and his forgeries.

Oh yeah I forgot about that one too. I quite enjoyed it. And didn't find it painted the church in a negative light but I remember reading negative reviews from Members and tried recommending to my TBM brothers and they all felt it would paint the church in a bad light.

For once can we stop worrying about the good and bad lights and just discuss the truth. I thought the documentary did a good job on that.

[Just This Guy]

I just thought of a LDS Missionary film I wasn't sure about Other Side of Heaven...but I looked it up and it was distributed by Excel Entertainment Group which is a subsidiary of Deseret Book. So that ones out. Im curious if anyone can name any others without LDS ties.

One documentary that was excellent on Netflix (I believe) was the one about Hoffman and his forgeries.

Oh yeah I forgot about that one too. I quite enjoyed it. And didn't find it painted the church in a negative light but I remember reading negative reviews from Members and tried recommending to my TBM brothers and they all felt it would paint the church in a bad light.

For once can we stop worrying about the good and bad lights and just discuss the truth. I thought the documentary did a good job on that.

If anything, that documentary painted the church in much better light than they deserved. They got off super easy in that one. Mormon will freakout at any possible criticism and not give a through to maybe that criticism is valid.

[Ghost]

I saw Heretic the other night. The friend I went with is active but pretty nuanced and liked it as far as I could tell, though it was a late show and we didn't discuss it too much. There were a few scenes that made me instinctively feel slightly uncomfortable, maybe just because I was there with someone who as far as I know hasn't fallen off the heterodoxy cliff like I have.

But it was quite entertaining. A lot of it feels like a lecture (because it is) but Grant did such a good job with it that he carried it even when it occasionally got a little silly or long-winded.

After I saw it I listened to the Mormon Stories interview with the creators, and that interview has some fun background information. (Also, since when has Mormon Stories included random ads?)

https://www.mormonstories.org/meet-the- ... d-heretic/