Even if you have no intention of watching this excellent movie I would recommend reading this article. Scroll past the italics sections to skip the movie related content.
I admire the new A24 film Heretic for having the balls to address ignorance about various religions. It does so without pulling any punches that would make Christians uncomfortable which I appreciated. I want to delve into some of the themes explored in the movie and expand on them further.
I think just like The Matrix was celebrated as a profound existential exploration of reality—using religion to question whether we might be living in a simulation—I believe Heretic will eventually be recognized in a similar light. This film goes even deeper, examining how religion has both uplifted and failed humanity, all while employing religion itself as a metaphor to deliver its message.
Personally, I always found The Matrix to be even more compelling as a metaphysical commentary on the nature of reality than as an action movie. While its action sequences were undeniably revolutionary, its true brilliance, for me, was in its existential themes. In the same vein, I feel Heretic resonates most with its incisive revelations about organized religion, offering a historical perspective that challenges long-held beliefs and will undoubtedly make even the most devout uncomfortable.
I have no doubt that Heretic will find a growing audience among those who appreciate its thought-provoking insights and are drawn to the truths it dares to unveil.
One of my favorite points made in the film is that, while religious texts may be divinely inspired, they were unfortunately filtered through the imperfect human authors, who are naturally flawed as humans. This explains many problematic instructions found within the bible, and definitely needs to be kept in mind when reading it. This is a necessary concession readers of the bible need to make as there is a lot of undeniably unscrupulous content/instructions in the bible that Jesus would not approve of.
So it’s important to recognize that, while ancient biblical texts often contain profound wisdom, they should also be approached with discernment instead of being consumed without any analysis. It’s useful to read the instructions/teachings found in the bible through the eyes of Jesus, who provides the clearest and most compassionate framework for understanding the Bible. Christians should not hesitate to question or even discard entire chapters and passages in the bible—particularly those in the Old Testament that have been used to justify violence, discrimination, or hatred, including against marginalized communities. These interpretations are in stark contradiction to Jesus’ central message of loving one’s neighbor and embodying compassion.
For Christians terrified about divine punishment for rejecting problematic passages, let me reassure you: no loving God will condemn someone for rejecting instructions that promotes hatred or harm. It should also be understood that “hell” was always intended to be symbolic of a life where one has not experienced enlightenment. There is no literal lake of fire to be afraid of post-death. You are experiencing what the bible described as hell right now if you have not achieved enlightenment.
Going back to problematic passages, take for example, the apostle Paul, who after the death of Jesus declared that people of other faiths should be “accursed.” This alone highlights the imperfections of some of these authors and texts and underscores the need for a critical eye reading them.
Adding to this is the issue of translation errors, like the King James Version’s translation. Take for example Psalm 146. It reads, “Do not trust in the son of man who has no salvation,” whereas newer and more accurate translations clarify the verse as, “Do not trust the sons of rulers.” This is not a small discrepancy; they fundamentally altered the meaning and should call into question the reliability of these translations and why people are still using the king james version 400 years later.
This is what I found so compelling about Hugh Grant’s character in the film. His assertion that our personal relationship with God transcends the texts themselves is liberating and deeply affirming. The books, filtered through human hands, are valuable guides but not infallible. What ultimately matters most is our direct and personal connection with God—a connection that surpasses the flaws of the written word.
Another compelling point made by his character is the paradox that the more he studied various religions, the less he felt he truly knew. This observation is understandable; the sheer complexity and contradictions across faiths can be overwhelming.
Yet, it is precisely this deep exploration that enabled him to reach a profound observation: the Torah, the New Testament, and the Quran are essentially different iterations of the same monotheistic tradition, all worshiping the same God.
This perspective is particularly enlightening when we consider that Islam explicitly accepts and acknowledges Jesus as a prophet, not an adversary. The division between these three major faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—is unnecessary when they all worship the same God, whom Jesus referred to as the Father. Sadly, what should have united these faiths has often been overshadowed by petty human conflicts and outright misunderstandings.
I would argue that the worship of figures like Jesus has devolved into a form of idol worship, diverting worship away from God Himself, as Jesus has never claimed to be God. On this point, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism are perfect examples of religions that successfully caution against elevating prophets above God.
It’s also worth addressing a common misconception: Jesus was a prophet, a messenger sent by God to guide and teach humanity but not someone who ever asked to be worshiped, so the fact that Christians worship him is puzzling. The misinterpretation likely stems from his declarations of being “one with God.” This unity with God was not a declaration of a divine relationship exclusive to him; it was an enlightened state he encouraged all his followers to attain. His mission was to also share with humanity on how to also achieve this oneness—not to place himself on a pedestal above others.
When we speak of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, it’s important to recognize that “the Son” essentially symbolizes all of us. Jesus, in his teachings, emphasized that we are all children of God. This is not just a poetic statement—it’s a truth about our shared divine essence. By referring to humanity as God’s children, Jesus was telling us that we are all reflections of the divine, and God incarnated as a human just as he was. His life was not meant to proliferate separation but to inspire us to embrace our own divinity and live as united reflection of God our father..
At no point did Jesus ever claim to be God the father himself, yet many have directed their praise and worship toward him, rather than to God the Father. This misunderstanding of Jesus being God himself has unfortunately shifted the focus away from worshiping the God that Jesus himself was pointing to. While Jesus is undoubtedly deserving of respect for imparting profound spiritual lessons, he was explicit about where worship should be directed: God.
One downside to this misdirected worship towards prophets is the perpetuation of division and tribalism. Instead of humanity uniting under the shared recognition of one Creator, humanity has fractured into competing factions, forgetting that there is only one true tribe—humanity itself. Ironically, even suggesting a return to simply worshiping God alone, just as Jesus taught, is enough to get someone banned from online Christian forums. In my experience, these communities always defend the worship of Jesus without citing any verses to support their stance that he should be worshiped, highlighting how tradition has overshadowed his teachings.
What makes this all the more frustrating is that Jesus laid out a clear path for achieving oneness with God. He showed that this divine connection is attainable by everyone and not exclusive to him. How? Following his teachings on how one should live his own life, worshiping our father, accessing the holy spirit for guidance and not worshiping him is the key to spiritual growth and unity with God.
Another compelling point made by the film is the idea that many stories in the Bible are not meant to be taken literally but are myths that were crafted to teach lessons. This aligns with the storytelling traditions of the time, where allegory and symbolism were used to teach truths.
Despite the feelings of some atheists that argue he never existed, whether someone views Jesus as a historical figure or a symbolic one is less important than genuinely living by his teachings which will successfully trigger a profound spiritual awakening. For many Christians, unfortunately declaring “I believe in Jesus” is treated as sufficient, while the actual practice of his teachings often takes a backseat. In truth, following Jesus is more than mere belief—it’s about embodying the lessons and values he sought to share with the world.
There are common arguments from opponents of the bible that challenge its authenticity, which is understandable when looking at the facts. I think it’s fair to evaluate them and not just blindly accept them to demonstration one’s faith. Here are some of the examples illustrated by the film.
There is ample evidence to confirm that many biblical stories are retelling or reinterpretations of older myths, a point the film underscores with several compelling examples—including some that Christians may prefer to overlook. For instance, the concept of a savior figure born to a virgin predates Jesus by over a thousand years. Krishna, a revered teacher with teachings remarkably similar to Jesus, was also said to be a carpenter, born of a virgin, baptized in a river, resurrected, and ascended to heaven. The story of Horus includes him walking on water, crucifixion, and twelve disciples. Mithras is credited with performing miracles and being associated with the symbol of the cross. These parallels make it difficult to ignore that Jesus was likely a retelling of these older stories.
The true value of Jesus’ story lies not in its uniqueness but in his spreading of those teachings in that region—lessons that were admittedly echoed in other spiritual traditions that predated him by hundreds of years. Despite what most Christians think, Jesus was incorporating also established eastern teachings from Buddhism and Hinduism into his own ministries in Galilee, Judea and Samaria. For those that claim Jesus’ way is the only way ignores this fact. Whether you want to believe Jesus was parable or not doesn’t matter as long as you follow the lessons being laid out on his life story. Buddhism compliments his lessons quite well.
The film forgets to mention other examples of biblical stories that draw from earlier mythology, such as Noah’s flood, which is a retelling of The Epic of Gilgamesh. Besides that, stories like Adam and Eve should be interpreted as parables rather than literal history. The story is a perfect example of a fantastical explanation of something that can now be explained scientifically. Essentially how the evolution of our neurology granted us humans reason and free will but at the cost of disconnecting us from higher consciousness and the organic happiness that comes with that. This separation, however, is something that can be corrected via Jesus/Buddhist teachings which compliment each other quite well.
For anyone still clinging to a literal interpretations of early biblical tales, consider the logical issues in the stories—like how humanity could populate despite their children being just men. The use of fantastical elements, like the talking serpent clearly indicates it’s meant as allegory.
The Lord’s Prayer itself contains a profound statement. When Christians say, “Thy will be done,” if said with conviction, they are essentially are declaring that we yield to a higher power. This is not a small request; it is a declaration of profound trust and passing the reigns of power to a higher power. The reward is a return to the ecstasy and unity hinted at in the Eden parable—a state we lost but can regain through spiritual realignment.
Recognizing these stories as parables enriches their meaning, turning them into tools for understanding ourselves and our relationship with the divine. This does not suggest eternal judgment and punishment for interpreting them in this way.
The most important lesson to take from the film is that the big monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—is that we are all one. The artificial divisions between these faiths serve no purpose other than to tribalize and separate humanity, perpetuating a false sense of separation we’ve assumed was real for far too long. This segregation becomes even more absurd when we recognize that all three religions worship the same God. The film does an excellent job of correcting this widespread ignorance. Despite misconceptions, Muslims similarly worship the same God the Father that Jesus instructed his followers to. They do not worship Muhammad. Similarly, as stated earlier, Jesus never instructed worship for himself; he was a prophet, sent by God with a mission. His status of being one with God was not unique to him but was routinely achieved by followers of Buddhism/Hinduism and a state he encouraged all his followers to pursue through his teachings.
The film also makes a great critique of how religion has been co-opted as a capitalistic tool, a sentiment atheists likely already agree with but followers of faiths will find harder to admit. The transformation of Christianity into a wealthy, power-driven enterprise stands in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus, who consistently preached against materialism and greed. Religion becoming an instrument of profit is incredibly ironic.
Ultimately, the film’s stance on religion is clear—and one I share: religion, in its current form, has mostly been used to divide rather than unite. A true follower of Jesus’ teachings would not adopt any label, including the label of “Christian,” Labels only create barriers between people who should instead be united. The existence of over 40,000 denominations of Christianity is not only absurd but spits at Jesus’ call for unity and love.
The essence of Jesus’ teachings was about breaking down barriers by focusing on the universal truths of compassion, humility, and our oneness. We can move beyond the tribalism that religion has perpetuated and embrace the unity at the heart of these shared spiritual traditions.
One of the favorite moments in the film, for me, is when Hugh Grant’s character asks the girls what they believe the true religion is. Their answer—control—is brilliant. Why is control such a powerful and pervasive “religion”? I would argue because it transcends belief systems, appealing and impacting everyone, whether they are atheistic or theistic. It is an alternative to spirituality, aligning with humanity’s deep attachment to free will—the concept illustrated in the parable of Adam and Eve that broke us off from paradise and our connection to the universe and humanity. As humans, we are undeniably addicted to control.
I could also argue that much of organized religion acts as another form of control. Many churches act as gatekeepers, claiming that spiritual salvation can only be available through them. The Catholic Church is a prime example, acting as a tollbooth to achieving unity with the universe within, insisting that truth can only be obtained through them. This is despite the practice of Buddhism successfully awakening innumerable people without needing any authority figures. It should be noted that much of Jesus’ teachings echo many of Buddhist teachings, that’s not by accident, as he was relaying those teachings along with his own to the people in his region.
The film also touches on simulation theory, much like The Matrix did. It presents the idea that nothing in this life is real—a truth revealed at the moment of death. The film describes dying as an experience of painless dissociation, enveloped by a blinding white light, and accompanied by the ultimate confirmation of the illusory nature of reality. That should give many relief.
When all is said and done there should be no more organized religion as it only serves to separate and tribalize humans. the only tribe should be humans as we are all one.
As religious commentary it’s 4.5 stars
As a horror movie it’s 1 star
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