Last Updated on October 24, 2024 by Angel Melanson
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods's Heretic is getting the smell-o-vision treatment, with A24 partnering with Joya Studio to bring multi-sensory screenings exclusively to Alamo Drafthouse theaters nationwide at advance screenings on October 30.
Starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, Heretic has its wide theatrical release on November 8. The twisty theological thriller follows two young missionaries (Thatcher and East) who find their faith tested when they knock on the door of the mysterious Mr. Reed.
According to Deadline, A24 are set to make select theaters smell like blueberry during a pivotal scene of the movie. Why blueberry, exactly?
The scene in question (what follows is not exactly a spoiler as it appears in the trailers, but still skip the below paragraph if you want to go in fully blind to Heretic) sees the girls:
…tell Mr. Reed they aren’t allowed to enter his house without another woman present, and Mr. Reed assures them that his wife is baking a blueberry pie in the kitchen. As the missionaries discuss the importance of religion with Mr. Reed, he goes into the kitchen to check on the pie.
Once he’s in the other room, the young women spot a blueberry pie-scented candle on the table — leading them to the horrifying realization that there is no pie, and there is no wife.
Joya, who previously teamed with A24 to create candles based on a certain trophy in Everything Everywhere All at Once, will use “atomization technology, which employs cold-air diffusion to disperse scented molecules as fine, dry air without the use of heat, water or alcohol” to tease the tantalizing smell.
Much like everything in Heretic, blueberry pie is more than it seems on the surface. Per Beck and Woods:
The blueberry pie in Heretic is activated by Hugh Grant’s Mr. Reed as a metaphor for blind faith and a disturbing reminder to question everything. When we first heard A24’s bold idea to resurrect the multi-sensory experience to underline this crucial sequence it made us howl with laughter. We’re so excited that audiences have this unique opportunity to be immersed in the world of the film.
The blueberry smell-o-vision screenings are just another example of A24 acing the marketing game. We imagine these screenings will sell out pretty fast, so check with your local Alamo Drafthouse for more details.
You can read our exclusive interview with Beck and Woods in FANGORIA Vol. 2 Issue 25.
