You can add A24’s latest horror film to the list of movies that will not be showing in Malaysia.

Heretic, the new horror movie directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, and starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East, will not be aired in Malaysian theatres on 21st November.

In fact, we were told by distributors Atrinaga that the film has been removed from cinema listings all over the country. One can safely assume that The Lembaga Penapis Filem (Film Censorship Board of Malaysia) has allegedly banned the film in the country.

Why Is The Film Heretic Allegedly Banned In Malaysia?

Follow our train of thought for a bit. Here’s the definition of the word “heretic”:

“A person who believes in or practises religious heresy.”

And here’s the description of the movie Heretic according to IMDB:

“Two young religious women are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a strange man.”

As you can tell from the trailer below, the two women are missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the game of cat-and-mouse they’re in is meant to test their faith in their religion. Without spoiling anything in this film, the central narrative is about the nature of beliefs and religion.

That premise alone is enough to warrant alleged stern disapproval from a censorship board based in a Muslim country. Still, that’s a lot of money for bringing the film to Malaysia, gone in a flash.