A Love Letter To Hugh Grant Entering His Horror Era

Something amazing is happening in the world of television right now: Former TV heartthrobs from the past are once again gracing us with their magnetic charm and charisma, sending many Seth Cohen and Pacey Witter-loving millennial hearts aflutter. However, as much as millennials are enjoying this unexpected (but very much welcome) Adam Brody-aissance, not every Hollywood golden boy is interested in making us swoon. In fact, one actor in particular is about to go to great lengths to make fans do the exact opposite. I’m referring, of course, to the former rom-com king Hugh Grant, who is set to star in A24’s upcoming horror film Heretic, slated to hit theaters on Nov. 8, 2024. That’s right, my friends — Hugh Grant is entering his horror era, and it could very well end up being his best role yet.

Throughout most of the ‘90s and early aughts, Grant built up quite the impressive resume for himself, serving as the romantic leading man to many iconic movies, including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Two Weeks Notice, just to name a few. Between the British accent, his overall attractiveness, and a general sense of sweet vulnerability that he brought to each character, Grant has managed to woo men and women alike on the silver screen for several decades. All that is about to change, though, because this former poster boy for rom-coms is getting ready to go full villain in a way that will probably make it impossible to look at him the same way ever again. It’s a bold career move to make, but one that I feel only Grant could properly pull off.

The film centers around two Mormon missionary girls who get much more than they bargained for when Grant’s character invites them into his home under the guise of wanting to learn more about what they have to say. However, they soon realize that this man (and his house) are much more sinister than they first appeared to be. What’s really interesting, though, is how Grant is still able to utilize his legendary charm within the role, except this time, it isn’t being used for romance but rather pure evil.

As the trailer indicates, Grant initially comes off as seeming like an older, yet still very suave and nonthreatening, type of man. Yet hiding under this sweet facade lies something much darker, which makes the character all the more terrifying. Grant doesn’t initially come off as dangerous — so much so that you can almost forgive the girls for willingly entering a stranger’s house. (Almost.) After all, some of the biggest threats out there are hidden under a mask of likability. There are some evil people who let you know who they are right up front, but it’s the ones you’d never suspect that can truly shake you to your very core. People like Grant’s character.

Even after the girls realize the unfortunate predicament they are in, Grant does a superb job of still keeping his character’s demeanor eerily calm and almost comforting. “I won’t keep you if you wish to leave, but I want you to choose which door to go through based on your faith,” Grant chillingly tells the girls in the trailer, as casually as if he were explaining the weather rather than sending them off to his creepy labyrinth of horrors. “It will make your hearts beat faster. It may even make you want to die. Do not be afraid. You will witness a miracle.” But will they ever be able to escape? That remains to be seen.

This isn’t a genre I ever thought Grant would be a part of — and yet, now that I’ve gotten a taste of what his acting chops can do with a role like this, I may be falling in love with him all over again.