So much rubbish has been written about the risky change of pace that Hugh Grant exhibits in an overrated, undercooked fright film called Heretic that it seems pointless to contribute more. I’m just saying he deserves applause, but the question is, “What next?” He’s a fine actor who should be able to transition from a charming romantic lead to a menacing, diabolical villain with superior ease, and the monster he plays Heretic is not only expertly whimsical, but also not entirely without charm. It seems like a natural fit. The question: is it scary? In my opinion, the answer is a big, gaping “No way.” Shaving too quickly with an old razor has scared me more than anything Heretic from my bathroom mirror.

Helmed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the writing, directing, and sometimes producing team responsible for B-movies like Chase And The Boogeyman, Heretic is considered an innovator of the horror genre, but there is nothing innovative about it. Instead of fear, Heretic conveys more of a long and tiresome ideological debate about the horror of religion combined with the horror of bad movies. It could be called a whodunit, as opposed to a whodunit. The premise starts with a promise. Two sweet Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) on a mission to convert non-believers to salvation arrive at a creepy, imposing house (amid fog, rain, and a coming snowstorm, natch). The creaky door is opened by a genial, smiling Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant, turning on his usual charm), who invites them in and offers them a slice of blueberry pie, freshly baked by his wife, who never appears. But instead of cake, Mr. Reed offers a provocative debate about the role of religion through the ages. Whether the women are raising money or simply hoping to find a kind soulmate is left to the imagination, although the dark and gloomy parsonage soon becomes evidence of the host’s behavior and his dangerous plans for unsuspecting visitors, many of whom turn out to be captives to be in a prison. cages in underground dungeons below. Before you can say, ‘Girls in movie danger who’ve seen it Psycho should know better than to go out in the dark,” turns the proceedings into a shout-fest, and the charming Mr. Reed turns into a serial killer who verbally accompanies all his murders with mumbo jumbo banter that begins with ominous questions like “How are you are you?” feeling about polygamy?”

It won’t be a surprise when the girls discover that the exit doors are locked, that the blueberry pie is poison, and that there is no woman. As the snowstorm rages outside, the girls flee to the basement where future victims await their turn for execution. “Why are you doing this?” asks one of the misguided missionaries in one of the film’s unintentional comedic misfires. “The question,” Mr. Reed replies with a deathly grin, “is why do you allow me to do all that?” That’s the only point of the film: that’s there is no point.

Heretic has occasional moments of tension, but none of it is based on any kind of logic, leaving Hugh Grant pretty much to shepherd the shaky, disorganized and pointless third act to its gruesome conclusion with maximum, eye-rolling, lip-licking glee. He’s the only reason to keep one eye on the screen and the other eye on the exit door. You can’t teach an old pro new tricks, and this is one actor who can’t turn off the charm even when spoken to, which no one does. Even as he cuts off a victim’s hand finger by finger, he seems jovial. Let’s hope that after proving himself more than capable of handling gory nonsense, he’s offered a tougher role next time. In the disappointing greeting card finale of Hereticeverything collapses into hearts, flowers and butterflies, but only one person is still alive. I won’t reveal who it is. I’ll just tell you that when Hugh Grant leaves the screen, the impact is comparable to saying goodbye to Casper, the friendly ghost.