Black nametags that read “Elder” or “Sister.” A blue book with golden lettering across the top. White collared shirts and ties on the men, dresses on the women. This is iconography familiar to anyone in Utah. Whitney Rose and Whitney Leavitt are certainly familiar with missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – or, Mormon missionaries as they’re colloquially known.
On November 2, the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars teamed up with A24 to put on an experience that movie-going SLC natives won’t soon forget. The Whitneys hosted a screening of the upcoming horror movie Heretic in Salt Lake. At the door, A24 employees asked me to choose “Belief” or “Disbelief.” I chose the latter and ended up in Whitney Rose’s theater. Here’s what happened.
Whitney speaks on her “healing journey” around faith
Before the film rolled, Whitney addressed the theater. “This is the craziest moment for me as a born and raised Utah girl,” she said. “Being raised in the Mormon Church. Leaving the Mormon Church. Going on my own faith journey and belief journey. I never thought there would be a day that I’d stand here hosting a film like Heretic – that dives into the concept and the subject that we all think about so much, but we never really talk about – religion.”
She took a moment and asked the crowd to “honor [her] missionary vibes.” She showed off her outfit, a black top with a gray skirt and a long gray coat, similar to what the missionaries wear in the film. “Tonight, you can call me Sister Rose,” she joked. Sister Rose continued, “This is truly, truly an honor. Thank you to A24 and the entire team for having me here … Obviously, I’ve been on my healing journey for a while and this means so much to me.”
Whitney continued, “We love to talk about all the beautiful things religion has to offer with support, sustaining us, community, love – all those beautiful things that religion offers us. Or any sort of institution, right? But something that we don’t always talk about are the deeper, darker sides of religion, and the feeling of being entrapped and tormented in your own belief system.”
What is horror movie Heretic, and what are Whitney’s thoughts on it?
Heretic tells the story of two Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, portrayed by the amazing Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, respectively. When the Sisters knock on the door of a potential religious investigator, they meet Mr. Reed, as portrayed by Hugh Grant. Things seem friendly enough at first but the conversation turns tense when Mr. Reed starts questioning the missionaries on their beliefs. Things spiral soon after into a horrifying game of cat and mouse.
Whitney had nothing but good things to say about the movie. “This film is incredible. The writers and directors used the perfect balance of horror [and] psychological warfare to create this cat and mouse type vibe of truly challenging what you believe in. And I love, I love Hugh Grant, we all know him from romcoms and all of his lighthearted movies. … This is probably my favorite role he’s every played as Mr. Reed. He is a menace, he is dark, he is everything. I think this is his most iconic and epic role.”
However, despite Whitney’s praises for Hugh Grant, she added, “But the sister missionaries are what did it for me. And I can’t wait for you to all watch these sister missionaries go on their journey.” She explained that the missionaries seemed “helpless” and “naïve” at first. As such, Whitney was excited for folks to see “how strong they are in challenging Mr. Reed.”
In the same vein, she challenged us, the audience, to “leave all of your beliefs out at the door. Anything you thought you knew, anything that you knew, and just have an open mind going into this. Really pay attention to the conversation and debate that you have in your own head. And I hope that we can take this forward, leaving this theater.”
Why Whitney thinks everyone needs to see Heretic’s ending
After the screening, Whitney was kind enough to chat with all the movie-goers. When I asked her about RHOSLC Season 5, she kept tightly sealed lips, saying she couldn’t reveal a thing. But she was more than happy to talk about Heretic. Whitney called the movie a “must-see” for anyone living in Utah, anyone who’s experienced Mormonism, and anyone who’s experienced religion.
She said, “Everyone needs to see the ending,” and added that the film’s conclusion encapsulated her feelings on faith. When I asked her to clarify, she cheekily said she didn’t want to spoil it. But as far as what she could say, she explained that it’s all about what a person chooses to believe, and what a person chooses to disbelieve.
Going into Heretic, I worried the film might be too insular with its focus on Mormonism. But while the film is certainly about Utah’s most famous religious institution, it’s about so much more than that, just as Whitney explained. And to echo her sentiment about the ending, the film will have any viewer questioning their thinking long after viewing.
It absolutely is a must-see, with jaw-dropping surprises and heart-wrenching development. Whitney is right; while Hugh Grant stuns, it’s truly Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East who sell the movie with their performances.
A24 will release HERETIC in theaters nationwide on November 8, 2024.
