Heretic

Wow this honeslty may be a contender for one of the best horror/thrillers of the year to me. To start off  the cast did amazing and truly expressed each of their characters unique personalities and views in way that makes you question each of their points. But sister Paxton kept me laughing the entire movie I always do love an airhead character. Compared to other “religion horror” movies like immaculate and the exorcist this felt like religion as a whole was the  forefront because it makes question not only one religion but all religions. I am not a religious person so maybe other people will interpret this movie differently. But I liked the way it made me agree with the missionaries then with Mr Reed. It truly had me swaying back and forth.  Spoilers below: What I think I love about this movie the most is that just like religion everyone that watches it can take away something different or believe a certain ending. The movie brings up the butterfly theory. “Is the man dreaming of being a butterfly or is the butterfly dreaming of being a man?” After sister Paxton escapes she finds a butterfly on her finger, which she previously said she wanted to land if she was reincarnated as a butterfly. But once there is a bright  white light it’s the butterfly is gone. Was this butterfly sister Barnes? Is this butterfly representing that Sister Paxton is dying and hallucinating what she wants to see? It’s up to interpretation just as the entire movie was saying about religions.   Another  example even before the sisters found out the rise of the prophet was a hoax they question it and did not believe they could witness someone come back from the dead, but then when sister Paxton needed help in the final scene, she saw sister Barnes come back from the dead to help her escape. Which could make someone question why does she believe this miracle but question the first.  Maybe she was hallucinating because she was stabbed? Maybe she actually saw Barnes come back to life? Or maybe this can be connected to the point of religion how everyone interprets religion or miracles differently.  At the end of the day though a big take away I had was that both the belief  and disbelief doors lead to the same exact outcome. It doesn’t matter how we get through life, with religion or without, we all live and we all die.