Sophie Thatcher covers ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ for Hugh Grant horror ‘Heretic’
The cover also interpolates recognisable chords from a 90s classic
by Alex Rigotti · NMESophie Thatcher has covered Bob Dylan classic ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ for the Hugh Grant horror film Heretic.
The choose-your-own-adventure film, which is out in theatres everywhere tomorrow (November 8), stars Grant as Mr. Reed, a mysterious and untrustworthy man who answers the door to two young female Mormon missionaries who want to convert him to the church.
The film features Grant singing 90s classic, Radiohead’s ‘Creep’, and now it has been revealed that Thatcher also casts her own take on a seminal Bob Dylan song. Appearing on the Heretic soundtrack, Thatcher’s gauzy cover of ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ appears to interpolate another 90s classic: Mazzy Star‘s ‘Fade Into You’.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Thatcher said of her cover: “It works with the movie because Hugh Grant goes on a spiel about religion and Christianity, [and how] they’re all iterations of each other. And the same goes with music.
“He goes on this tangent about Radiohead. ‘Creep’ comes from the Hollies’ ‘The Air That I Breathe.’ They were sued. And then Lana Del Rey’s ‘Get Free’ copies ‘Creep.’ So it’s this ongoing discussion where there are only so many chord progressions. And within this cover, it was essentially ‘Fade into You’ but ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.’ It was clever, and it works well at the end of the movie to put a little ribbon on it.”
Check out Thatcher’s cover of ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ and watch Thatcher talk about covering the song below.
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Meanwhile, Hugh Grant spoke to NME about his character’s decision to sing ‘Creep’, saying: “I don’t do it very well. I think it’s a very difficult song to sing. I researched it a bit and they kind of hate it. One of them sketched it off, they recorded it and they never really bothered to put on proper lyrics [that] they liked. Everyone went mad for it and called for it at every Radiohead concert. Very difficult to sing. I didn’t crack that one.”
When asked whether he went down a Radiohead rabbit hole, he replied: “I didn’t. I don’t think Radiohead was my character Mr Reed’s cup of tea. I had him down as more of a Bach man. He prides himself on being down with the kids though.
“I think he was quite a successful, trendy professor at some midwestern university in the late ’80s and early ’90s, so he’s good at making young people-friendly references like that but in the privacy of his own room, it’s Bach and Beethoven.”
We also reviewed Heretic, giving it a four star review: “On the interview circuit Grant has been talking passionately about Heretic – something he doesn’t often do – an act that is indicative of its quality and his faith in its writer-directors, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The American duo wrote and directed Adam Driver sci-fi clanger 65 but they also created the story for A Quiet Place.
“The wit, freshness and smartness with which they approached that post-apocalyptic monster film is to the fore in Heretic, which is among the best horror films of the year.”