Sweeney (“Anyone But You,” “Madame Web,” and this month's SNL-centric chat) plays Sister Cecilia, a novitiate who travels from Detroit to rural Our Lady of Sorrows. Ancient catacombs! ), to take her vows. Her recruitment happened so quickly that she did not have time to learn basic Italian. Upon her arrival, a foreboding “Suspiria”-esque gust of wind greets her, giving her her first clue as to what awaits her. Sweeney's expressive doe eyes and whisper-soft voice convey an incredible vulnerability, but Cecilia's strangely friendly Father Tedeschi (Alvaro Morte) at the church tells her that she's a 12-year-old. There's also a gentle resolve beneath the surface as he explains how his near-death experience convinced him. That it's all part of God's plan.
The rebellious Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcaroli) quickly becomes a friend, the strict Sister Isabel (Julia Heathfield di Renzi) an even quicker enemy, but the pious Sister Cecilia begins to realize… I'm not the type to investigate strange sights. Around her convent, creepy nuns in crimson masks prowl, and ghosts visit her at night and in her dreams. Director Michael Mohan, working from a script by Andrew Lobel, is full of useful details but short on character development, and sprinkles nods to 1970s horror throughout the film. This is quite a misdirection. The production design by Adam Riemer envelops Cecilia in the abbey's stately courtyards, eerie hallways, and candlelit rooms, giving her a sense of menacing ritual and beauty, like a figure in a fresco. Immerse yourself.
Is the danger supernatural lurking behind cinematographer Elisha Christian's gorgeous textures? Demonic? anything else? Citing the most obvious movie references might give away too much. However, the premise is in the title. Shortly after arriving, Sister Cecilia becomes pregnant. Although she is embarrassed by her virginity, the mostly male leaders of the convent eagerly interrogate her about her sexual activities and are slightly overjoyed that a miracle has occurred under their roof. When she is forbidden from going to an outside hospital, her evil illness begins to creep in, along with Cecilia's survival instincts.
From there, “Immaculate” fast-forwards to real horror, despite an overreliance on loud telegrams by Mohan, who reunited with Sweeney after directing him in “The Voyeurs.” He mines stomach-churning thrills from visceral horror. Anyone sensitive to claw, tooth, or tongue trauma would scream, never mind that the danger increases as Cecilia's belly swells. And set the mood with screeching, bone-crushing sound design. And Will Bates' haunting score of piano strings and chorale adds to the moody atmosphere.
Elsewhere, easy gimmicks and a gruesome opening sequence featuring creepy red-faced nuns (a great marketing tool that has little to do with the story) don't make much sense. It's not that the film is trying to make sense, but to deliver Cecilia to her birth day so that Sweeney can tear out her pent-up inhibitions in a holy, profane, memorable bloody finale. Jump over obvious plot holes.
“Immaculate'' joins recent “Benedetta'' and “Saint Maud'' in a new unholy trinity genre to enjoy with nuns, but with nuns like “The Devils'' and “School of the Holy'' It avoids the issue of sexuality, a central theme of exploitation classics. beast. (Also see The Decameron, The Little Hour, The Nun and its sequels.) Religious iconography is plentiful and can be a useful weapon in a pinch, but Cecilia's crisis is a matter of faith. It's not a question, it's a question of faith. An indictment of self-righteous authorities who use bodily autonomy and religion to gaslight and control women's bodies. (On the other hand, a brief mention of priests' bad behavior is the only reference in the film to real-life sexual abuse within the church.) This focus gives the film a simplistic, cold edge. and, especially in its wild final moments, make clear the “sin of the Immaculate Saint.” ” The real aim is a edgy pro-choice horror story for post-choice.Roe vs. Wade era.
R. At area theaters. Contains intense and bloody violence, gruesome images, nudity, and some language. 89 minutes.