Ten years ago, Sydney Sweeney (who plays protagonist Sister Cecilia) auditioned for a role in Immaculate, but the film never came to fruition. With newfound fame, Sweeney tracked down original screenwriter Andrew Lobel, got director Michael Mohan (The Voyeurs) hired, and produced the film with Neon. And finally, Immaculate was born. The film follows Cecilia, an American nun who joins an Italian convent and mysteriously becomes pregnant. Hailed as a “saint” by old nuns, Cecilia figures that something sinister is brewing in the church. Rounding out the cast are Álvaro Morte as Father Tedeschi, Benedetta Porcaroli as Sister Gwen, and Dora Romano as Mother Superior. Immaculate falls prey to cheap jump scares but delivers a genuinely well-crafted religious horror film.
Cecilia comes to the convent with a purpose: her whole life, God has prepared her for this moment. She bonds with Sister Gwen, a rebellious runaway nun who questions the convent’s authority. Cecilia also captures the attention of Father Tedeschi, who takes an interest in her childhood near-death experience. It almost seems like something romantic could spark between them (or maybe that’s my attraction to Álvaro Morte talking). Along the narrative, Cecilia garners special attention from the convent due to her pregnancy but finds that she cannot leave; she must resort to drastic measures if she wishes to escape.
Immaculate may seem familiar to another film currently in theaters, The First Omen. It was not intentional, but they both follow a protagonist with a similar story; nevertheless, it makes for an entertaining double feature. The nun in the evil church trope may be a cliché, but it works for the film’s central conflict.
Beyond the horror imagery, Immaculate is a beautiful movie to watch. The film was shot on location in Italy, and despite trouble finding a church to accommodate filming, the film persevered. Audiences will find themselves easily immersed in the picturesque setting and traditional beauty encompassing the mise-en-scène. The church itself is dark and looming and overtly too good to be true for Cecilia, who finds herself in the care of devotees to God (some look more like a cult of Satanists than nuns). The costumes are well representative of this divide; you’ll notice some of the “nuns” with their faces covered by a red mask. Although their presence adds nothing more than decoration to the film’s creepy atmosphere, it’s still a cool touch.
Despite most of the jump scares being cheap and predictable, there is one jump scare that is warranted. In one of Cecilia’s dreams (real or imagined…), she finds herself confessing to a priest, but his figure lurches further away after each shot-reverse-shot. It’s imperceptible at first, but when you think you know what’s coming, the film surprises the hell out of you. Then, a group of those “nuns” surround Cecilia and grab and twist her face in an Infinity Pool-esque manner. A lot of what works in Immaculate is the grotesque stuff that wouldn’t work in any other film. The script could’ve used some more tinkering to rid it of the cliches that make it so similar to recent horror films (but I love the similarities with Rosemary’s Baby and Suspiria). If only Mohan relied more on the disturbing rather than cheap shocks, this would have worked better overall.
The ending is demented. It’s what makes Immaculate so memorable. Mohan described the ending as exactly what he had imagined when writing it, which is almost always a sign of good filmmaking. Sweeney deserves just as much praise for her explosive performance in the third act. Her character is often monotone and uninspired; it’s when Cecilla has something to fight for that she shines.
Suffering is love. It’s no surprise Catholics are hating this movie; it’s brutal and bloody. You won’t want to miss Immaculate.
3/5 STARS