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(Spoiler: Neither presents an easy egress.)
For what its worth, I didnt findHereticanti-Mormon.
If anything,the filmwas overwhelmingly antismug British guy.
Leavitt, who was one week postpartum, wore a 1980s Jessica McClintockinspiredminidress from Asos.
Later, theinternet told methat most ofLeavitts castmateshad been at a Sabrina Carpenter concert that night without her.
BELIEF and DISBELIEF embodied with bobs, sitting right next to each other in reclining theater chairs.
Online, on Reddit and elsewhere, this screening became a must-attend event shrouded in secrecy.
Whitney Leavitt:Did it really?
People didnt even know how to get tickets and were apparentlycalling the movie theater, getting nowhere.
How did it all come together?
Theres something happening nationally right now where Utah is blowing up not as a state but as a concept.
And theres something A24-ish about our fascination.
Why are people looking at women in Utah with such fascination?
Leavitt: I think its a lot of things besides our religion that happens culturally in Utah.
Like, weve got our soda drinks.
Yeah, weve got our Utah curl.
I dont know if youve heard about it.
Wait, I dont know the Utah curl.
Leavitt: The Utah curl:Its a specific curl that Utah girlies have.
Rose:And I love all of your castmates a lot, but I despise the Utah curl.
You gotta curl your hair to the end.
Leavitt:Or get a bob!
I couldnt tell any of yourMormon Wivescastmates on the show apart untilabout four episodes in.
Besides you, Whitney.
Because they all had that same hair.
All gorgeous women, to be sure, of course …
Leavitt:Its a very trendy look.
But then, obviously, people were fascinated by the religion side of it too.
And I also do appreciate both of our shows presenting a different perspective of the Mormon religion.
Because I just feel like, worldwide, everyone thinks of Mormons in a certain way, right?
But then you get to see a different side.
Rose:I echo everything Whitney says.
Mormonism in and of itself, from the outside, looks strange.
But when I was living in it, I didnt view it that way.
Its just so normal to us, especially growing up here in Utah, right?
We all think the same, act the same, and have the same friends.
All the moms drive the same cars.
I mean,Mormon Wivesshows that.
They all have the same hair, except for Whit.
Leavitt:The Utah curl.
Rose:Yeah, and Im so glad that Whitney is paving the way there with her bob.
Its just fascinating when you have such a dense population of one religion and one culture.
What people dont realize is that there are so many different iterations and subcultures within that culture.
Heretichas gotten a lot of pushback from the Mormon church.
What is it so afraid of?
Leavitt:Maybe theyre afraid of the filmmakers putting out false speculation or false doctrines.
But when I watched, theres nothing doctrinal about the church in it.
Theyre scared of whats going to be in it and what that means for their members.
For me, this is easier to talk about because Im not a member.
Ive removed my name from the church records.
Its fear of the unknown; its lack of control over ones own narrative.
Its the same fear I have being on reality TV: We just show up and watch our edits.
I considerRHSLCto be the wackiest comedy on TV.
And some of the relationship plotlines onMormon Wivesare the most depressing television Ive ever seen.
It was often hard for me to watch.
And now, Im about to see a whole different take on the Mormon genre within a horror film.
Rose:The writers and directors are brilliant with their use of horror and psychological thrill.
Its a cat-and-mouse game of:What do I believe?
Do I really not?
Am I just doing this because I was told to?Its fascinating.
I was going, Oh my God, I relate to this!
You didnt serve a mission, correct?
Rose:No, I didnt, but I channeled my inner missionary with my look tonight.
Rose:From my perspective, the black-and-white was really hard.
By design, religion in Utahisthe culture.
By design, I didnt feel I could live in a gray area.
Now, this was 17 years ago.
A lot has changed.
Even us just sitting here together with such polar-opposite perspectives I think Utah has evolved.
you’ve got the option to interpret religion with your relationship to God versus the institution of religion.
Youve explored this on your show for years.
Im sure youre aware of the memes.
Rose:That was like my top moment of a Housewife.
Im no longer LDS, but I come from a long line of Mormon pioneers.
My family trekked across the entire United States to get here.
I get so bad with words.
I was so validated.
I feel so seen.
Someone understands my dialect and the way I talk.
