Probably One Of The Hardest Changes I’ve Had

This article contains major spoilers for Heretic.Heretic‘s Chloe East provides insight into Sister Paxton’s reaction to the film’s major twist. The just-released A24 movie tells the story of Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes, two young Mormon missionaries with hopes of getting new converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. One particular candidate for conversion, Mr. Reed, proves especially challenging, and the young women see their faith and will to live tested as they fight for survival. Heretic features a leading cast including East, Sophie Thatcher, Hugh Grant, and Topher Grace.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, East speaks on her character’s reaction to the major ending twist. According to the actor, dealing with Sister Paxton’s ending was “probably one of the hardest changes [she has] had.” This was because, before Sister Barnes’ shocking return, she had already “mapped most of Paxton out” and internalized the journey. To figure out what she needed to do with her character, she tried to “internalize[] the actual exhaustion and mental state [Paxton] was in at that time.” Check out the full quote from East below:

That was probably one of the hardest changes I’ve had. I feel like I mapped most of Paxton out and the emotions she would go through, but then it was a new phase of the movie where I have to be different. It has to be different than the rest of the movie that we’ve already shot, so that was definitely a struggle.

But I think I just internalized the actual exhaustion and mental state I was in at that time because I had nothing else to really pull from. Then I just started pulling from last week’s work and just how I felt currently, and it really did add a different layer to it.

What This Means For The Heretic Ending

Chloe East Had To Convey A Lot Of Emotion

East is, of course, referring to the moment when Sister Barnes, whose throat was slit by Mr. Reed earlier in the movie, comes back from the dead to kill Mr. Reed once and for all. At this point, Sister Paxton had resigned herself to disbelief, after Mr. Reed’s previous resurrection “miracle” had been proven to be a trick. Moments before the character is going to be stabbed in the throat by Mr. Reed, killing her, the villain’s face is punctured by three nails protruding from a wooden plank. Shockingly, it is a revived Sister Barnes who carries this out.

As Sister Paxton, East had a lot of leg work to do in Heretic‘s ending sequence. There is no dialogue between her and Thatcher’s character, but East must capture a simultaneous sense of awe, fear, and shock. She only gets a few frames to convey her reaction, as Sister Paxton soon has to use her brain to figure out how to escape Mr. Reed’s still-locked-up home. From the sounds of her interview, it seems East opted to morph aspects of her character’s previous journey into the ending.

Our Take On Sister Paxton’s Ending In Heretic

Heretic Leaves Room For Interpretation

East does not unpack every facet of the ending in her quote, and there is truly a lot to unwind within Heretic. Sister Barnes drops dead again shortly after she was resurrected, so the ending leaves it unclear as to whether aspects of this return were imagined by Sister Paxton, or whether it was a real miracle. The film also cuts off shortly after Sister Paxton escapes the house, but before anyone comes to save her, prompting further questions. East’s quote provides insight into one key character’s journey in Heretic, but still leaves ample room for discussion.

Two young women of faith are drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse after seeking refuge in the house of a mysterious and unsettling man. As they navigate a labyrinth of psychological and supernatural horrors, their beliefs and survival instincts are pushed to the limit.

Director

Scott Beck , Bryan Woods

Release Date

November 8, 2024

Studio(s)

A24

Distributor(s)

A24

Writers

Scott Beck , Bryan Woods

Character(s)

Mr. Reed , Sister Barnes , Sister Paxton , Elder Kennedy , Prophet

Runtime

110 Minutes

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