‘Conclave’ ’The Substance,’ ‘Heretic’ Among the Prestige Genre Films Gaining Acceptance in Mainstream Festivals
variety.comGregg Goldstein Suspense and horror films typically get second-class treatment at fall film festivals, often relegated to midnight slots and left out of award season conversations.
But this year, three Toronto fest entries — Focus Features’ papal conspiracy thriller “Conclave,” Mubi’s gory horror film “The Substance” and A24’s horror-thriller “Heretic” — may prove to be exceptions to the rule. “I really wanted to straddle a line and have [“Conclave”] appeal to a large audience with its thriller elements, but also make it a cinematic experience that satisfies an adult, more discerning viewership at festivals,” says director Edward Berger, whose war drama “All Quiet on the Western Front” won four Oscars in 2023. “Conclave” was inspired by films like “Klute,” “All the President’s Men” and other ‘70s paranoid thrillers. “The film is really an amalgamation of two genres: it’s a thriller, but also a very strong character [study] of its hero, Cardinal Lawrence [Ralph Fiennes] and his crisis of faith,” Berger says. “I naturally gravitate to films that are entertaining but have a very strong protagonist, so I’m able to transport the audience into their shoes.
That makes it commercial, because you understand every twist and turn in their psyche, but it also makes it appealing to those drawn to more character-driven films.” Few Toronto films may end up exploring as many twists and turns in the psyche of its lead character as “Heretic.” Hugh Grant plays the evil Mr.
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