Heretic: parents' guide
Best for ages 15 and up. Rated R for some bloody violence.
A tense, talky psychological thriller for older teens about two young Mormon missionaries who visit a charming, menacing man (Hugh Grant) who traps them in his house and picks apart their faith. Most of the film is sharp debate about religion and belief, building dread rather than jump scares, until a bloody final act with a slashed throat, stabbings, a severed finger and an arm cut open. Language is mild and there is no nudity, though there is frank talk about condoms, pornography and polygamy. Main characters die. The brief but graphic violence and sustained menace are why we suggest 15.
What's in it
Violence
StrongMostly psychological menace until the last act, which brings a slashed throat, stabbings to the neck and stomach, a finger cut off, a blow from a nail-studded board, and a graphic close-up of an arm sliced open to pull out an implant.
Language
MildMild and infrequent: a couple each of hell and damnit, plus balls and stand-ins like freakin' and effin'. No f-words or s-words.
Sex and nudity
ModerateNo sex or nudity, but long, frank and often joking conversations about condoms, pornography, masturbation, penis size and polygamy. Bullies pull down a missionary's pants to mock her religious undergarments.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
NoneNo drinking, smoking or drug use.
Scary or intense scenes
StrongSustained, claustrophobic dread once the women realize they are locked in with their captor. Women kept in cages in a basement, a staged resurrection, a poisoned pie and dark, maze-like passages, with few jump scares.
Worth talking about
Mr. Reed claims every religion is a copy of an older one and uses that argument to control his guests. How can you tell honest questions about faith from manipulation dressed up as debate?
On our lists
Similar picks around 15+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, the MPA, movieguide.org. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.