Disclaimer: I acknowledge that church officials have stated that ‘Mormon’ is no longer the preferred name or title to use when referring to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. However, because the term is still used colloquially, I use Mormon, LDS, and Latter-Day Saint i'interchangeably in this article. 

to understand the significance OF heretic, you have to understand that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a complicated relationship to the moving image. This relationship is almost as old as cinema itself. Due in part to controversial policies like the practice of polygamy in the 1840s, films that portray Mormonism in a negative light appeared as early as 1911. Not to be outdone, the church took it upon themselves to make their own media.

The first film created by the LDS Church is entitled One Hundred Years of Mormonism and was released in 1913. The film allegedly portrays Latter-Day Saint history, beginning with Joseph Smith, the founder of the religion, as he experiences visions of God and angels and is led to the discovery of golden plates, which eventually become The Book of Mormon. The film ends with a depiction of Brigham Young leading members of the faith to “the promised land” of Utah.

100 Years of Mormonism was created in collaboration between the LDS Church, the Utah Moving Picture Company, and the Los Angeles-based Ellaye Motion Picture Co. and was reportedly advertised in places other than Utah. Though this film is lost and/or unavailable to the public, the juxtaposition of anti-Mormon and Mormon-produced cinema provides foregrounding for the polarized relationship between Mormonism and popular cinema that still exists today. The recently released Heretic, which features two LDS missionary characters, stands as a turning point in Mormon representation because of the film’s willingness to engage with Mormonism in a complex way.

Following the anti-Mormon films of the 1900s, Latter-Day Saint representation in popular cinema fluctuated from enthusiastic to condemnatory. The heyday of the Western in the 1940s and 50s is a particular point of interest. 20th Century Fox’s 1940 biographical film Brigham Young was enthusiastically embraced by audiences inside and outside of the Church, while John Ford’s 1950 film Wagon Master portrays Mormons as helpful but stiff. Peculiar philosophy and inaccurate dress codes for Mormon characters imply that little research was done in this film in terms of doctrinal accuracy. Contemporary representations of Latter-Day Saints that attempt to examine or comment on the Mormon experience remain just as varied. Television shows like Big Love (HBO, 2006-2011), Under the Banner of Heaven (Hulu, 2022), and even The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu, 2024-) prove that the subject of Mormonism still interests artists and viewers alike.

Meanwhile, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has been cultivating their responses to such media since the release of 100 Years of Mormonism. Though the production history is somewhat unclear, Church leaders were present during a screening of a film called The Mormon Battalion in 1950, suggesting that the film was at the very least condoned, if not produced, by the Church. Since the 1990s, the LDS Church has spent millions of dollars on telling stories through extensive ad campaigns and has produced documentaries like Meet the Mormons (2014) and retellings of Church history like Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration (2011).

Despite being one of the most prolific religious organizations in terms of media production, the LDS Church has taken great pains to caution their members against the dangers of media. Though they acknowledge that media can be uplifting, Mormon leaders consistently advise members to stay away from films that have received R ratings. Some official statements even warn that media in "bad spirits" can break up a family. As Mormon doctrine considers the family to be holy, this statement is met with severity.

This philosophy, along with the previously received representations from Hollywood and other media organizations from outside the Church, has shaped the way the LDS Church produces and understands media. Given that missionary work and conversion rates are high on the list of priorities for the LDS Church, most Mormon media seeks to convince or persuade. Almost all films and advertisements produced by the Church are utilitarian at best and propagandistic at worst.

The scale of Mormon representation in media is therefore extremely polarized. The secular brings sensationalized, buzzwordy, exploitative depictions, and the religious films are assertive, unquestioning, and eschew controversy or dimension. Both types are limiting, neither succeeding in presenting well-rounded or insightful portrayals. That is until Heretic,released by A24 on November 7^th of this year. Heretic was marketed as a horror film in which two female LDS missionaries are trapped and psychologically tortured by a Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), someone they previously thought was interested in investigating the church. It also does what other media, either of or about religion, has failed to do: land in the middle.

In fact, Heretic is about the existential ambiguity that both faith-havers and deniers must constantly wrestle with. The film critiques Mormonism specifically, not hesitating to quote Mormon President Gordon B. Hinkley directly or mention Mormon founder Joseph Smith’s illicit extramarital affairs, but is also sympathetic to it. The missionary characters feel like real people who have both faith and doubt inside of them. These young women are not stupid or blind-believers, despite what appearances suggest. To top it all off, the film is well researched and thought-out, at least on behalf of its Latter-Day Saint characters. Heretic represents a new frontier for LDS representation in the media and could provide the beginnings of a solution that could medicate the growing media literacy crises present among contemporary Latter-day Saints. However, orthodox Mormons will likely avoid the film for its alignment with the horror genre and ‘R’ rating.

Even so, Heretic’s willingness to negotiate with Mormonism and the notion of religiosity in general provides a bright light in regards to addressing the unaddressed in mainstream cinema in the age of the threat of authoritarian politics and populist media. Media scholars and government leaders and artists alike must learn to reckon with the ever-present religious population in America so as to create understanding and meaningful change. Heretic presents an excellent example of the collision of the social critique whilst maintaining respect for people of faith, hopefully paving the way for a better future.

Work Cited

1. Ballard, President M. Russell, Elder Douglas L. Callister, and Elder Robert D. Hales. “Movies and Television.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Accessed December 17, 2022.
2. Beck, Bryan, and Woods, Scott. 2024. A24.
3. Batty, Garrett, and Ballard, M. Russell. Meet the Mormons. Produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
4. Blom, August. 1911. A Victim of the Mormons. Denmark: Nordisk Film Kompagni.
5. "'Brigham Young' Massive: Intense Saga Of Mormon Foundation." 1940. The Hollywood Reporter (Archive: 1930-2015) 59 (23) (Aug 26): 3.
6. Ford, John 1950. Wagon Master. Republic Pictures.
7. Hathaway, Henry. 1940. Brigham Young. Twentieth Century Fox.
8. McGregor, Neil. 1913. 100 Years of Mormonism. Utah Moving Picture Co.
9. “Mormons Cheer Premiere Of 20th’s 'Brigham Young': 100,000 Welcome Hollywood Stars." 1940. The Hollywood Reporter (Archive: 1930-2015) 59 (23) (Aug 26): 8. "Moving Pictures: Mormons Oppose Film." 1917.Variety (Archive: 1905-2000), Feb 09, 18.
10. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Light the World 2017. Accessed November 24, 2024. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/light-the-world.
11. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Family: Isn't It About Time? 1999. Accessed November 24, 2024. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/family-isnt-it-about-time.
12. "'The Mormon Battalion' Premiering in Salt Lake." The Hollywood Reporter (Archive: 1930-2015), vol. 109, no. 15, 1950, pp. 8.