Behind the monastery walls – review of the horror film “Heresy”

Witch-hunt

Paul Hyett has already appeared several times as the director of horror films (The Gloomy House , Howl), although so far his productions have gone unnoticed. Until now, it was sometimes terrible and sometimes bloody, but there was no panache, effect and solid finalization. The plot of his latest horror film dates back to the era that gave rise to many mystical fields, often inspiring the creators. The year is 1666. A period when the local people believe in magic and witchcraft, and inquisitors are constantly fighting against witches and any turning away from Christianity. The main character, Persephone, suspected of making a pact with the devil, is sentenced to death by the holy inquisition. Her superior sister rescued her from oppression, offering her a lifetime stay in the convent. As you can easily guess, under the kindness and kindness of the protector there is a harshness and a secret from many years ago.

A genre mishmash

Paul Hyett’s film shows what the religious indoctrination and the hermetic nature of the monastic environment lead to. The picture can shock with quite bold scenes and an intense escalation of self-destruction. The horror, however, does not bring anything special to the genre, the plot follows the paths trodden by many predecessors. Such a mishmash allows you to follow the action from two perspectives. The one that has more impact on the body, leaves disgust, and the one that builds tension under the skin with a series of jump scares. Unfortunately, the end result does not arouse much emotion. Heresy is another horror game that leaves much to be desired. However, acting is not the worst. The protagonists have felt the roles of the damned women who are under the strict subordination of nuns, who are stigmatized by a deadly curse.

What was missing?

Hyetta’s production is a genre collage. The director combines the bloody gore festival with the subtlety of a ghost story . Plot, predictable to the limit, clinging tightly and rigidly to the conceptual correctness of films with which mass culture is permeated. It is hard to find a more hackneyed theme these days. The atmosphere of the story is definitely missing. The common course of action, limited workshop and stereotypical horror behavior of the heroes, preserved in the cinema for many decades, schematic characterization – all this makes Heresy a secondary production that does not stand out from the others.

Zabrakło również wyczucia w tematyce demonologicznej. Diabeł czai się w ciemnościach, co jakiś czas wyskakuje zza rogu, doprowadza siostry zakonne do obłędu i sprawia, iż w ferworze strachu wydłubują sobie oczy. To jednak nie robi na nas większego wrażenia. Eskalacja scen gore przewyższa budowane podskórnie napięcie, w wyniku czego film nie przeraża, a bardziej zniesmacza. Główny motyw odrzucenia wiary, uleganiu diabelskim siłom, do którego nawiązuje tytuł, jest traktowany zbyt powierzchownie. Bezpośrednich analogii do doktryny religijnej odrzucanej i otwarcie potępianej przez Kościół katolicki jest niewiele, a poruszane wątki zdają się oscylować tylko wokół tematyki demonologicznej.

Herezja mimo całkiem zachęcającego w gruncie rzeczy zwiastuna nie zachwyca. W zamiarze twórców może nie miała wbijać w fotel, a naświetlać pewne wątki, pokazać, że horror potrafi łamać społeczno-religijne tabu i ukazywać patologię instytucji klasztoru duchownego. Choć i z tym – trzeba to powiedzieć wprost – jest krucho.

Za możliwość obejrzenia filmu dziękujemy sieci kin Cinema City.