There’s something about a good Halloween movie that doesn’t necessarily need to reinvent the genre. Sometimes all I want is witches, creepy houses, kids running for their lives, a little blood, and enough autumnal atmosphere to make me want to immediately turn off every light in my apartment. The Heretiks understands the assignment.
Directed by Gregg Bishop, The Heretiks is a wonderfully witchy little horror movie that throws several different flavors of the genre into a blender. It’s part home invasion thriller, part coming-of-age story, part supernatural survival movie, and very much a Halloween movie. It’s not always perfectly balanced, but when it works, it’s a genuinely fun time.
The story follows 13-year-old Mabel, who is looking forward to spending Halloween with her best friend Wesley. Unfortunately for them, a coven of witches has other plans. Mabel has been chosen as a sacrifice for a ritual that will awaken an ancient goddess and, naturally, bring about the end of the world. Because apparently trick-or-treating is too much to ask for.
The relationship between Mabel and her older sister Ada gives the movie its emotional center. The two clearly love each other, but there’s a distance between them that has been growing for some time. Ada has essentially checked out of her own life, while Mabel is still young enough to want her sister to be there for her. Watching that relationship slowly come back together while they’re being hunted by witches gives the movie a little more heart than its bloody premise might suggest.
Mabel and Wesley are also a lot of fun together. Their friendship gives the first half of the movie a youthful energy, and Luke Speakman is especially great as Wesley. There’s a sweetness to their dynamic that makes the danger surrounding them hit harder once things start getting ugly. And The Heretiks definitely isn’t afraid to put these kids through hell.
Then there’s Cai, a former member of the coven who becomes their very questionable protector. She’s exactly the kind of horror character I love: completely unpredictable and impossible to tell whether she’s going to save you or casually make your situation ten times worse. Kimberly Epstein brings a wonderfully strange energy to the role, and Cai never feels entirely safe even when she’s technically on the good side.
Tess Williams might be my favorite part of the whole movie, though. Her performance as Neve could have easily turned into cartoonish witch territory, but she plays the character with this bizarre, almost dreamy calmness that makes her so much creepier. She speaks with an almost innocent sweetness while casually discussing sacrificing a child for the apocalypse. There’s something deeply unsettling about that contrast, and Williams completely sells it.
Visually, The Heretiks has plenty to offer as well. The practical effects are nasty in all the right ways, while the cinematography gives the movie a suitably dark and atmospheric look. The imagery of the coven gathered in the woods, the moon hanging over them, and the various Halloween decorations throughout the film all help create the kind of spooky atmosphere that makes this feel like something specifically designed to be watched in October.
And honestly, that might be what I enjoyed most about it. The Heretiks feels like a Halloween movie in the best possible way. The costumes, decorations, nighttime streets, creepy woods, and witches all come together to create that unmistakable feeling that something terrible could be lurking just around the corner. It has a wonderfully spooky atmosphere that makes it feel tailor-made for a late-night October watch, and there’s something really satisfying about a horror movie that fully embraces the season.
It isn’t perfect. Some of the dialogue and performances can feel a little uneven, and not every attempt at humor lands. The story also occasionally struggles to balance all of its different ideas. But none of that stopped the movie from being a genuinely entertaining watch.
The Heretiks may not be the most revolutionary witch movie ever made, but it doesn’t need to be. It knows exactly what kind of movie it wants to be: bloody, spooky, weird, and fun. And honestly, sometimes that’s more than enough. If you’re looking for something to throw on during spooky season that comes with witches, practical gore, creepy imagery, and plenty of Halloween atmosphere, this one deserves a spot on the watchlist.
Director: Gregg Bishop
Cast: Luke Speakman, Ava Mae Seidensticker, Josie Juliette Wert
Writers: Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski
Producers: Gregg Bishop, Ariel Bleiberg, Ehud Bleiberg, Brad Miska, Alexander Motlagh, Chris White
Composer: Kristopher Carter