Something lacking in ‘Gladiator 2,’ but ‘Heretic’ a thrilling ride
(Dec. 6, 2024) — Upon a recent rewatch of the extended edition of “Gladiator,” I realized how many Roman-era movies and shows had colored my memory of the film since last I watched it.
Many parts of it almost felt new. Yet, I remembered the well-known beats: Former Roman general forced into slavery becomes a gladiator bent on revenge against the new emperor.
After watching the sequel, “Gladiator 2,” I realized how with just a few tweaks, it fit that tagline almost exactly: Former soldier forced into slavery becomes a gladiator bent on revenge against the Roman general. During my re-watch of the first film, I felt the same anger at certain points and the same pathos at others. I felt neither while watching the sequel.
Soldier to slave
As Hanno, Paul Mescal does an admirable job as the soldier-turned-slave in the sequel. He becomes hellbent on killing Gen. Acacius (Pedro Pascal) for his role in the enslavement. Acacius is a nice enough guy and he happens to be married to Lucilla (Connie Nielsen reprising her role). Lucilla still holds the wishes of her father Marcus Aurelius that Rome be reverted from an empire to a republic. She must do so in secret as she is not looked upon fondly by the tyrannical twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). Quinn and Hechinger bite hard into the roles of these horrific, immature rulers.
Amongst all these inner workings, we also have Denzel Washington hamming it up as the owner of Hanno and dozens of other gladiators. Washington plays Macrinus, who has eyes on a much bigger role in Rome.
Washington and the rest of the cast do a fine job. Director Ridley Scott again captures some great fight scenes at the Colosseum and on the battlefield. It is the script, however, that makes this sequel fall a couple notches below the original.
The feelings from the first film are still strong with me. I knew exactly how it ended, but I still cried on re-watch. I appreciate the sequel’s connection to “Gladiator,” but it tries too hard to make the connection feel earned. The script could have used a few rewrites to come up with a more original story that maintained the connection. B
Grant gone wrong is great
I would not call myself a Hugh Grant fan, as I do not endeavor to be sure and see each of his films. However, I have always enjoyed his presence onscreen – perhaps never more than in his most recent role in “Heretic.”
Grant has unfortunately been typecast as the “charming Englishman” in the bulk of his films. In 2023, I caught my first glimpse of him as a villain in the far-better-than-it-should-be “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.” Grant plays a thief without any honor, an unscrupulous rogue. And he is clearly having a great time. That role may have led him to choose a darker one as Mr. Reed in “Heretic.”
In snowy Colorado, two young, Mormon missionaries fight through a budding storm to follow up with a man who had shown interest in learning more about their religion. The girls ride their bikes and ring the bell of Mr. Reed. Without giving anything else away, I will say that my heart rate was noticeably elevated from this point on. Even during lengthy dialogue scenes, the suspense is palpable.
Grant is almost matched by Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher. They each bring something different to their roles, but they play off each other perfectly.
Thrills without chaos
Writers and directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods wrote all three of the “Quiet Place” films, so they truly know how to set up thrilling scenes without a lot of chaos. In those films, Beck and Woods turn the quiet into its own character. The feeling of silence brings on more suspense as the audience wonders how long the other characters can stay quiet and what might shatter the lifesaving silence. In “Heretic,” Beck and Woods turn the snowstorm into a character. Its slow and steady approach heightens the doom hovering over the girls. The soundscape keeps the blizzard whooshing about in the background throughout the film. These two directors do a remarkable job in their first turn behind the camera.
“Heretic” played great in the theater. Yet, I imagine it will play just as well at home, in the dark, with a fire going and a storm brewing outside. It is one of the best films of the year. A
Jeff Mellinger
Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer and film buff. He holds a BA in Film Studies and an MFA in film production. He lives in Concord.