Horrified by the death of young girl Claire (Jennifer Nelson), Father James (Andrew Squires) disappears for six months. Returning after the funeral of the girl’s father Tom (Michael J Tait) his faith all but quashed by the events that have unfolded before him, he sets about to continue his life as normal.

Unfortunately it’s not as easy as he imagined when he is haunted by visions of Claire. When he inadvertently finds himself in her house, the following night will be unforgettable. Throughout the evening, James is confronted with the sins of lust, wrath and emotional turmoil as the sins of his past come to the forefront of his attentions and when he sees Claire and Tom wandering around the house, the existence of reality soon vanishes from his grasp.

Squires portrays the distressed father brilliantly and every moment of screen time builds upon his imperfections as a person and his faith to the church loses touch very quickly. Supported by James Zakeri who plays Father Will, James’ friend, he tries to be the grounded reality he needs.

Suspenseful at every moment, locked within the walls of the dead it is only a matter of time before Father James is confronted with death and there is plenty of it. Peter Handford doesn’t shy away from killing his cast but in a sense where every death has purpose to the downfall of the lead as opposed to tally up the final death count.

At it’s heart, ‘Heretic’ is a gripping ghost story as written by M.R. James. Despite its blood soaked surface lies a chilling tale of loss and regret that Father James has hidden for a very long time.

Handford has masterfully created a British classic that is a must see for fans of ‘Blood on Satans Claw’ and ‘The Sentinel’. If it’s a test of faith to film making then Handford passes with flying colours.