There’s a lot of danger in horror movies, but the psychological terror of “The Heretic” serves up something new — and I don’t mean that in a bad way — by showing a sociopath who tries to talk his victims to death.

Two young women, missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ride their bikes through a Colorado ski town, unsuccessfully trying to strike up conversations about their faith with anyone who passes by. Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) is the older of the two, it seems, while Sister Paxton (Chloe East) is a newcomer. This ranking is never mentioned, but the screenplay by co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods strongly suggests it.

Paxton and Barnes have an address for a possible prospect, so they lock up their bikes and ring the doorbell as the rain starts to turn to snow. A man, Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), answers and says he is interested in hearing what missionaries have to say about the Latter-day Saint faith. The missionaries hesitate, citing the rule that they cannot enter a man’s home unless a woman is also present. Mr. Reed assures them that his wife is inside making blueberry pie.

Once inside, the missionaries begin their well-rehearsed message — what members call “the first talk” — but Mr. Reed already seems to know a lot more about the Latter-day Saint faith than he’s letting on. He even pulls out a large leather-bound tome of the church’s foundational scripture, the Book of Mormon, with lots of Post-it notes sticking out of the pages. Paxton and Barnes begin to think they have a good prospect for baptism.

But there is something off about Mr. Reed, a certain level of insincerity that the missionaries detect. And where’s that wife with the blueberry pie?

It doesn’t take long for Paxton and Barnes to realize they’re in danger – in horror movie terms, they’re pretty clear about absorption. However, they don’t realize the problem until it’s too late. Mr. Reed lures them further into his labyrinthine home and into a lesson on Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and what he says he has learned is “the one true religion.”

Beck and Woods, who wrote the almost wordless “A Quiet Place,” go in the opposite direction here, building tension mostly through dialogue. It’s a clever script, using allusions to Monopoly and Radiohead’s “Creep” to make Mr. Reed’s comparative points about the world’s religions. The script also gives Paxton and Barnes the grit and smarts to pull it off — and East (“The Fabelmans”) and Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”) give those characters the guts and grit they need if they’re going to escape with their lives.

What gives “Heretic” its menace, however, is Hugh Grant, who is clearly enjoying the villainous phase of his career. (See “Paddington 2” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” as recent examples.) As Mr. Reed, Grant uses the swashbuckling charm of his “Notting Hill”/”Four Weddings and a Funeral” days, then it overturns us. expectations in something diabolical. It’s a riveting performance, one that elevates “The Heretic” to heights of unbearable tension.

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‘Heretical’

★★★1/2

It opens Friday, November 8 in theaters everywhere. Rated R for gory violence. Running time: 110 minutes.