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The Heretics (2017) movie poster

Plot Summary

The Heretics (2017) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 87 mins · English
JustWatch #4,605 34
Directed by
Chad Archibald
Starring
Jorja Cadence, Ry Barrett, Nina Kiri, John Migliore, Colin Price, Caleigh Le Grand

A young girl is abducted by a man who believes a cult is after her. He aims to protect her until sunrise, but she unexpectedly falls ill while in his care. As her friends and family desperately search for her, the cause of her sickness becomes increasingly clear. She isn't simply sick; she is undergoing a disturbing transformation.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The Heretics
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Heretics (2017)

Where can you watch The Heretics? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Fawesome and Amazon MX Player: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The Heretics: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The Heretics (2017) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Gloria, Nina Kiri, is kidnapped by a cult that gathers under a looming locust moon, staging a chilling occult ritual behind grotesque masks before sealing the night with suicide. Five years pass, and a traumatized Gloria lives with her mother Ruth, Nina Richmond, slowly learning to cope with what she endured while the memory of that night lingers like a bruise she can’t quite shake.

She begins attending a therapy group at her local church, accompanied by her lover Joan, Jorja Cadence, who hints that she has something special planned for their anniversary the next day. The tension tightens as Gloria’s fragile sense of safety keeps slipping away, and the shadow of the past creeps closer to the present.

Then Gloria is kidnapped again, this time by Thomas, Ry Barrett, a man whose face is hideously scarred by fire, and he takes her to a remote cabin in the countryside. Joan launches an increasingly frenetic search for Gloria, even threatening a man with a knife when he seems indifferent to the disappearance. A police officer learns of Joan’s violent behavior and suspects she was involved, which leads Joan to kill both him and the inconvenient witness Ruth, severing any chance of a straightforward rescue.

Thomas explains that he was one of the cultists five years ago, and that he faked his suicide to protect Gloria from the remaining members who intend to finish the ritual under the coming locust moon. The cultists believe they have implanted the demon Abaddon, the “Taker of Souls,” within Gloria, and that it has been growing inside her for years. As the moon rises, Gloria’s health deteriorates and visions of Abaddon intensify, while strange, malevolent phenomena fill the cabin. The transformation is physical as well as mental: Gloria begins to grow wings, and Thomas comes to fear that she is truly becoming Abaddon, even contemplating killing her to end the horror before it’s too late.

The truth about the cult’s leadership finally comes to light: Joan is the mastermind, but Thomas reveals that Joan is actually his sadistic sister Gwendolyn, who scarred him with fire. Gloria’s metamorphosis continues, and she starts speaking in the voice of Abaddon, declaring that she will kill Thomas first and claim his soul for hell. Gwendolyn learns from a witness that the kidnapper bore a scarred face, deduces it was Thomas, and heads to the cabin to strike a final, brutal ritual. Thomas overpowers her, kills Gwendolyn, and drags a seemingly dead Gloria outside as the sun begins to rise.

Gloria then revives, and in the voice of Abaddon, turns on Thomas with a ferocity that cannot be denied, vowing to take his soul to hell as the dawn light spills over the cabin and the two souls engage in a final, lethal confrontation.

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:49

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Plot questions answered

The Heretics Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about The Heretics (2017): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why did Thomas kidnap Gloria if he was trying to protect her?

Thomas kidnapped Gloria because the cult was planning to finish the ritual under the coming locust moon, and he believed she was in immediate danger from them. Taking her to the isolated cabin was his attempt to keep her hidden from the remaining cult members until sunrise, when the threat would pass. He explains he faked his suicide five years earlier specifically to protect her, so the kidnapping was a desperate act to shield her from a worse fate at the hands of the cult.

Foreshadowing: Thomas's scarred face hints at his past involvement with the cult and suggests he escaped from something violent.

  • thomas
  • gloria
  • kidnapping
  • cult
  • protection
  • cabin
Q2

What is the locust moon and why does it matter?

The locust moon is the night when the cult believes the demonic ritual can be completed. The cult staged their original attack during a locust moon five years ago, and they intended to finish the ritual during the next one. This celestial event marks the specific timeframe when Abaddon can fully manifest, making it the critical deadline that drives Thomas's actions and the cult's final attempt at the cabin.

Foreshadowing: The movie opens with the cult performing their ritual under a looming locust moon, establishing its importance.

  • locust moon
  • ritual
  • demon
  • cult
  • timing
Q3

How did Abaddon get inside Gloria?

During the cult's original ritual five years ago, they implanted the demon Abaddon inside Gloria's body. The cultists believed they were channeling the "Taker of Souls" into her as a vessel. The demon has been slowly growing inside her for years, and the locust moon is when it reaches full manifestation, causing her disturbing physical and mental transformation.

Foreshadowing: The opening cult ritual explicitly shows them attempting to summon and implant a demon into the young girl.

  • abaddon
  • demon
  • vessel
  • ritual
  • implant
  • possession
Q4

Why did Joan kill Ruth in The Heretics?

Joan killed Ruth because the police officer investigating Joan's violent behavior was getting close to discovering the truth about Gloria's disappearance. When Ruth became a witness to the investigation, Joan eliminated her to remove any obstacle to her cover story. This brutal act also severed Gloria's connection to her mother and removed someone who might interfere with Joan's plans.

Foreshadowing: Joan's threatening behavior toward a man who seemed indifferent to Gloria's disappearance foreshadows her willingness to use violence.

  • joan
  • ruth
  • killing
  • murder
  • police
  • witness
Q5

What happens to Gloria at the end of The Heretics?

At the end, Gloria undergoes a complete transformation into Abaddon. After Thomas kills Gwendolyn and carries her outside, she revives but speaks in the demon's voice, declaring she will take Thomas's soul to hell. She attacks him with lethal intent as the sun rises, suggesting the demon has fully possessed her body. Her ultimate fate remains ambiguous, she appears to survive the confrontation but is no longer entirely human.

Foreshadowing: Gloria's gradual transformation, her growing wings, and speaking in Abaddon's voice throughout the night all point to this complete possession.

  • gloria
  • abaddon
  • ending
  • transformation
  • possession
  • dawn
Q6

Why did Thomas kill Gwendolyn?

Thomas killed Gwendolyn because she came to the cabin to complete the ritual and claim Abaddon for the cult. After discovering Thomas was the kidnapper, Gwendolyn knocked him out and began performing the occult ritual on Gloria. Thomas broke free and fought back, ultimately killing his sister to stop her from completing the demonic ritual and to protect Gloria from being fully consumed by Abaddon.

Foreshadowing: Thomas reveals Gwendolyn is his sadistic sister who scarred him with fire, establishing deep familial tension.

  • thomas
  • gwendolyn
  • sister
  • killing
  • ritual
  • cabin
Q7

What was the cult's ritual supposed to accomplish?

The cult's ritual was designed to fully manifest Abaddon, the "Taker of Souls," by using Gloria as a vessel. They believed they had implanted the demon inside her five years ago, and the locust moon ritual would complete the transformation, allowing Abaddon to fully manifest and claim souls. The cult's members were willing to commit suicide to complete the ritual, showing the extremes they would reach.

Foreshadowing: The opening sequence shows the cult completing their initial ritual before sealing it with collective suicide.

  • cult
  • ritual
  • abaddon
  • souls
  • demon
  • vessel
Q8

Why did Gloria grow wings?

Gloria grew wings because Abaddon was manifesting physically inside her. As the demon took control during the locust moon, her body underwent a horrific metamorphosis that included sprouting wings. This physical transformation represented the demon's hold on her becoming complete, moving beyond mental possession into full body horror.

Foreshadowing: The escalating visions and strange phenomena at the cabin hint at her impending physical changes.

  • gloria
  • wings
  • transformation
  • abaddon
  • body horror
Q9

What is Joan's real identity in The Heretics?

Joan's real identity is Gwendolyn, Thomas's sister. She is actually the leader of the cult that kidnapped Gloria five years ago and the one who scarred Thomas's face with fire. She manipulated Gloria's recovery by posing as her supportive partner, using the therapy group and anniversary plans as cover while waiting for the locust moon to complete the ritual.

Foreshadowing: Joan's hints at having something "special" planned for the anniversary take on darker meaning after the reveal.

  • joan
  • gwendolyn
  • cult leader
  • identity
  • thomas
  • sister
  • twist
Q10

What caused Gloria's transformation?

Gloria's transformation was caused by Abaddon growing inside her over five years and reaching maturity during the locust moon. The demon had been slowly developing within her since the original cult ritual, and the celestial event triggered its full manifestation. This caused her physical changes including wing growth, her speaking in the demon's voice, and her violent shift in behavior.

Foreshadowing: The opening ritual and Thomas's explanation about the implanted demon establish this cause-and-effect.

  • gloria
  • transformation
  • abaddon
  • growth
  • demon
  • moon

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Heretics, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Heretics tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Claustrophobic Transformation Horror Movies like The Heretics

Horror stories where physical and psychological change is a terrifying trap. If you liked the intense body horror and psychological siege of The Heretics, you'll find similar terror in these movies. This list features stories of disturbing physical change, often set in confined spaces, where characters battle internal and external threats for survival.

  • body horror
  • claustrophobic
  • anxious
  • disturbing
  • desperate
  • oppressive
  • Tone: dark, oppressive, horrifying
  • Pacing: steady, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative often follows a single protagonist or a small group trapped in a confined space, facing a threat that causes a grotesque physical or psychological metamorphosis. The story is a race against time, escalating the horror as the transformation progresses and the outside world closes in.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared focus on the horror of involuntary transformation, a high-intensity tone, and an oppressive, claustrophobic mood. They explore themes of bodily autonomy, trauma, and survival through a relentless, physically horrifying lens.

Supernatural Siege Horror Movies with Ambiguous Endings like The Heretics

Stories where a single night of ritual horror leads to an uncertain fate. For viewers who enjoyed the ritualistic, night-long horror and ambiguous conclusion of The Heretics, this collection features similar films. Discover stories where characters face a supernatural threat during a single, desperate night, with endings that leave lasting questions.

  • ritual
  • supernatural
  • desperate
  • dark
  • anxious
  • unsettling
  • Tone: dark, desperate, unsettling
  • Pacing: steady, night-long escalation
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative is tightly focused on a single, horrific night where characters are tested by a cult or supernatural force. The story builds steadily towards a dawn confrontation that fails to provide clear answers, emphasizing the enduring and incomprehensible nature of the evil faced.

Why they belong together: These movies share a specific structure: a steady-paced, night-long siege with ritualistic or cult elements, a dark and heavy tone, and an ending that is deliberately ambiguous. The experience is defined by relentless dread and a conclusion that lingers unsettlingly.

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Movies Like The Heretics

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Every angle

The Heretics (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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