The Heretiks is a supernatural home invasion film set on Halloween night. The poster flexes some big names and popular horror films, but this one may not have the legs to carry it as far.
Synopsis: On halloween night, a rebellious dropout must protect her sister when a feral coven invades their home to awaken an ancient evil.
FROM THE FANTASTIC FEST SITE: From Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, the writers of HELLRAISER (2022) and THE NIGHT HOUSE, comes the first production from Dread Central’s new company Be Afraid—THE HERETIKS. Directed by Gregg Bishop, this Halloween-set home invasion horror fuses supernatural mayhem, suspense, and old-school practical-effects energy into one wickedly entertaining ride.
Set over the course of a single fateful night, THE HERETIKS follows a disaffected teenager, Ada, forced into an unlikely alliance with a renegade witch when her younger sister, Mabel, is marked for sacrifice by a fanatical coven determined to usher in the apocalypse. As the clock races toward midnight, ancient grudges, forbidden magic, and blood-soaked rituals collide in a relentless fight for survival. The film channels the kinetic spirit of ’80s horror while delivering a contemporary coming-of-age story about family, identity, and the courage to defy inherited beliefs. Bishop blends inventive scares, dark humor, and propulsive action to tell a tale that is as emotionally grounded as it is gleefully unhinged.
Fueled by a fresh ensemble cast and an atmosphere steeped in autumnal dread, THE HERETIKS embraces the pleasures of practical horror without sacrificing heart. Every chase, spell, and confrontation builds toward a feverish finale that transforms Halloween night into a battleground between blind devotion and hard-won self-determination. Equal parts witchcraft thriller, survival horror, and midnight crowd-pleaser, the film is an exhilarating celebration of rebellious outsiders, supernatural chaos, and the enduring appeal of horror that wears its love of the genre proudly on its sleeve. (SARA LOPO)
I enjoyed this one well enough though I felt like the story skimmed the surface of what was promised, and could have gone deeper into the coven and the reason behind the events that take place. It sets the table nicely with the opening scene and the introduction of the characters. After that the audience is left with a lot of assumptions and fill in the blank plot lines. It is hard to go into details about those assumptions without spoiling the plot as a whole. Just know going in that you will need to just go with the flow and simply enjoy what you are given. Which is ok too.
There are three teams involved in this story. There is the witches coven led by Neve (Tess Williams) who is flanked by a trio of spell weaving minions. I liked Tess in this role and though you don’t root for her character, she is a joy to watch. I wanted her to have more. The way Williams moves and speaks is sort of the sexy-scary that you want in an evil witch.
Neve has young Mabel (Ava Mae Seidensticker) in her sights to sacrifice on Halloween night. Enter the why questions. Why Mabel? What makes her special? Is it luck of the draw? Anyway, Mabel (Ava Mae Seidensticker), her sister Ada (Josie Juliette Wert) and a family friend (?) Wesley (Luke Speakman) must battle these crazy witches for survival.
Luckily for Mabel there is a 3rd party who has some very strong powers and a lot of ill will for the coven. She is the title Heretik, Cai (Kimberly Epstein). Cai is there to protect whoever the coven goes after. Cai is very powerful, and Neve has to use everything in her arsonal to try and fulfill her sacrificial plans. Epstein is my favorite person in this film. She is there to keep people alive. Not to coddle, or soothe hurt feelings. She gets to the point and does what needs to be done.
This film was part of the Fantastic Fest lineup in Austin and that is the perfect place for a movie like this. It is genre driven and sure to score points with supernatural fans way more than typical movie goers. Don’t expect horror, jump scares, or spine tingling emotion. This is a more direct home invasion story but with witches instead of madmen.
A+ for costume design, special effects, eerie chants, and the witch vibe. D for story depth and overall writing. So pick your poison and go in with mid expectations.
About The Author
