British folk horror movie “Heretic” starring Emma Appleton (“The Witcher”) has just wrapped production on the southwest coast of England. The project has also released a first-look photo of Appleton in the role, pictured below. This new film will be the debut feature from filmmaker Dean Puckett. His directorial background is primarily in documentaries and short films.
This is not to be confused with A24 film’s upcoming movie “Heretic,” directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. These are totally different projects that just have the same name.

Puckett’s “Heretic” revolves around the character Magpie whose husband dies under mysterious circumstances. Now a brutal witch-hunt threatens to tear apart an isolated religious community. To give an idea of the setting, it was mostly filmed in Cornwall’s Bodmin Moor, which is an expansive and rocky moorland. Which sounds like a perfect place for a folk horror movie.
The ensemble cast includes Appleton, Jodhi May, Lewis Gribben, Barney Harris, Oliver Maltman, James Swanton, and Toby Stephens.
“Heretic” was developed as part of the BFI, BBC Films, and Creative UK’s iFeatures program. This same program has helped develop other indie films like “Lady Macbeth” and “Apostasy.” Support for this film was provided by Cultivator Cornwall’s Screen Growth Production Fund, Falmouth University (where Puckett also lectures), OnSight, HH5, Heatseeker Media ELD, James Brant, and Primary Visual Effects.
This early into post-production, there is no release date yet. But we’ll keep you posted on updates about “Heretic” as they become available.