Black Bear presents Immaculate in UK cinemas from March 22, 2024.
Synopsis
Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You, Euphoria, The White Lotus) stars as Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarking on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly descends into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbours a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.
Review
The combination of religion and horror is certainly nothing new, films like The Exorcist, The Nun, The Rite and many more have dabbled with this pairing for decades. Immaculate, the latest release from Black Bear, adds a few extra layers to this formula though with an undertone commentary of a woman’s bodily autonomy.
The film tells the story of Cecilia (played by Sydney Sweeney) who after the closing of her church in America, is selected to join a convent in the Italian countryside. Despite not knowing the language and being a ‘fish out of water’ she takes the offer and soon finds herself discovering the hidden secrets the covenant holds.
First and foremost, this ticks the boxes of many modern horror films. It’s got the loud noise jump scare fake outs. It’s got the wise cracking side character and many more. That’s not to say these are bad things. There’s a reason many people enjoy horrors and it is for the thrills and scares these tropes provide.
The added layer to Immaculate though would stir more likely in the female audience members, with the underlying plot of a young woman not having complete autonomy of her own body.
From the moment of her pregnancy, Cecilia loses any decision making to her day to day, being told what to do, being seen as a miracle by the rest of the covenant and even being prevented from going to an actual hospital during the more worrying parts of her pregnancy. The feelings of helplessness throughout the 2nd act are apparent as her situation unfolds.
I would consider the film as a bit of a slow burn though until the 3rd act. It is then things really go into fight or flight and leans into the horror/thriller this film will inevitably be known best for down the line.
Without digging into spoilers, Immaculate and by extension Sydney Sweeney really shines brightest in the final act. An almost un-winnable situation which left many people in the cinema leaning forward in their chairs. Sweeney delivers a strong performance as the innocent young Nun Cecilia.
While the film is only 1 hour and 29 minutes long, it does often at times feel like a slow burn but the final act does pay off satisfyingly well and will most likely be what this film will be best known for.
Verdict
Immaculate is a deeply disturbing and intense horror and certainly not for the more squeamish among us. While it takes it slow throughout the majority of its short run time, the final act more than pays off the time invested.
⭐⭐⭐.5
