If you dug the psychosocial dysfunction of HBO’s “White Lotus” or the theocratic dystopia of Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” then Immaculate, the new film from director Michael Mohan (The Voyeurs) should also find a comfy place within the twisted recesses of your sick soul.
The braintrust of those series, including Sydney Sweeney who stars again, collaborate for Immaculate, a film that weaponizes the toxicity and abuse of the Catholic Church and turns it into one of the best horror films of this young year. It’s equally horrific and unsettling to the core.
Sweeney is Sister Cecilia, a precocious American nun of devout faith who embarks on a new religious journey to a convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. It’s not long after taking her vows that the convent begins to reveal a dark and sinister side.
She endures nightmares about being buried alive, mysterious figures jumping to their death from the bell tower, and fending off nuns who pull the skin off her face. But it’s when she finds herself – a celibate nun – vomiting every morning that she realizes things aren’t what they seem. Is it the immaculate conception?
Immaculate isn't just another entry in the horror genre; it's a nightmarishly poignant portrayal of the exploitation and abuse lurking within sacred halls. Its key themes echo with an eerie resonance—the toxicity of sanctified abuse, the raw struggle for body autonomy, and a scathing critique of the "God" complex that so often leads to inexcusable transgressions.
Sweeney delivers a performance that traverses the polarities of the human psyche. In a compelling exhibition of transformation, Sweeney's character evolves from a symbol of untarnished piety to an unrestrained entity of vengeance. Every scene she’s in builds upon her chilling descent into a world where horror comes not from mythical CGI creatures, but from the depravity of human actions. This stark contrast elevates the terror to a plane that is gross, repulsive and undeniably singular.
Not to be outdone though, Simona Tabasco's portrayal of Sister Mary, though brief, burns with a blaze that highlights the narrative's emotional impact. Her authentic rendering of friendship in a miserable space gives the film its many fleeting moments of humanity amid the chaos and dread.
This is a film that masterfully taps into the primal fears that prowl around in our collective subconscious—not through extravagant effects or otherworldly creatures, but through the nastiness of reality. The terror in Immaculate comes from the mind's own horror; intimate, but always there. Scenes of merciless body horror, eerie burials alive, and the claustrophobic darkness of convent catacombs unfold onscreen with a macabre artistry—from disgust to bone-deep terror. Mohan’s haunting storytelling – from the pages of Andre Nobel’s first feature script – leaves us beautifully traumatized. It’s a genuine fright fest anchored in formidable truths.
The film forces us to confront our own perceptions of sanctity and sacrilege while driving home the resounding message that real terror resides in the truths we refuse to witness. Immaculate asserts that the most harrowing monsters are born from the shadows of human transgression and not the abyss of fantasy. This thematic gravitas is punctuated by Sweeney’s bewitching final act, drenched in the veritable blood of revelation and catharsis.
Immaculate will linger in your memory as a macabre tapestry of the horrors that unfold behind closed chapel doors. It dares you to stare deeply into the depths of moral decay and emerge, if you can, unscathed. This master stroke of psychological and body horror is an absolute must-see for anyone brave enough to grapple with subjects as dark and deeply unsettling as those woven into this nightmarish masterpiece.
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 89 mins
Director: Andrew Lobel
Writer: Michael Mohan
Cast: Sydney Sweeney; Álvaro Morte; Simona Tabasco
Genre: Horror
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "If it isn't God's will, why does he not stop us?"
Theatrical Distributor: Neon
Official Site:
Release Date: March 22, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Cecilia, a woman of devout faith, is warmly welcomed to the picture-perfect Italian countryside where she is offered a new role at an illustrious convent. But it becomes clear to Cecilia that her new home harbors dark and horrifying secrets.
