A new horror movie, Heretic, in which Hugh Grant plays a manipulative character luring and harming two female missionaries in his twisted attempt to undermine their faith, has provoked strong reactions due to violence against women and religious missionaries. The movie will be released in theaters on November 8.
There has also been some religious outrage from faith groups, primarily concerning The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that have complained about religious violence in this movie. It sparked the reply of this, “It’s a work of fiction. it undermines the value of volunteers who focus on community safety and well-being,” he said when the church spokesperson remarked upon how graphic content within this kind of film misrepresented the teachings of said church and volunteer missionaries in such an area.
Moreover, the disturbing marketing campaign has also included provocative posters plastered at Salt Lake Airport. According to media experts, Heretic is a typical case of Hollywood where religion always turns out to be a very convenient target for storytelling. “Religious themes are often sensationalized,” explains Diane Winston, USC media and religion expert.
Yet despite the firestorm from Heretic, some media commentators note Hollywood rarely spares any religious faith in its negative film portrayals and sees the same as being part of the larger, cultural talk about belief.
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