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.
Chuck says:
Sweeney Saves “Immaculate”
Sporting an adept inversion of a 1970’s horror film trope, Michael Mohan’s “Immaculate” is a lean, efficient shocker propelled by an innovative plot that’s so clever, you’ll likely forgive the liberties screenwriter Andrew Lobel takes in the third act. Benefitting from location shooting in Rome and surrounding areas in Lazio, Italy, the film has a real-world presence that gives the horror at its core a degree of plausibility other genre exercises lack, which contributes to its impact.
In many ways. Cecilia’s (Sydney Sweeney) path toward becoming a nun seems preordained. Having drown as a child but then brought back to life, since then she’s felt as if her life belongs to God and her purpose is to serve him. So, while others may look at her decision to travel to Rome to be cloistered at the Lady of Sorrows, it makes perfect sense to her. Still, once she arrives, she can’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable in her new surroundings. Built in 1632, the building seemingly lives up to its name, as a melancholy mood permeates the place. Ostensibly a retirement home for elderly nuns, many of Cecilia’s duties will be tending to their needs, cleaning up after them, dealing with those afflicted with dementia and basically being on a repetitive death watch.
Being told by one of the sisters that, as she has yet to take her vows, it’s not too late for her to leave, is good advice that falls on deaf ears. This isn’t the only warning to come Cecilia’s way. Strange dreams, random hallucinations and odd pronouncements from older nuns fail to convince her the path she’s chosen is the wrong one. And then, her fate is sealed when it’s discovered that, though still a virgin, she is pregnant. How this has come to pass remains a mystery but is accepted as a miracle by most in her circle, as they come to deify her, bowing in her presence. Yet, there are a select few who look at her askance, convinced there is more to this “blessed event” than meets the eye.
Though Lobel cribs from “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Boys from Brazil,” he puts his own twist on the narrative linchpins from both those movies to come up with an inventive gimmick. Once revealed, I chuckled at the audaciousness of just how the “immaculate” conception came to be, as well as its implications. The concept of the ends justifying the means is pushed to the limit here but it’s not outside the realm of possibility that desperate people would buy into it.
Sweeney is nothing if not passionate about this project, having purchased the rights to the script, hired Mohan and shepherded the film to the screen as one of its producers. Obviously, she realized the potential of the lead role and to her credit, her performance is very good. However, it’s a shame the character isn’t given more background, as large sections of her life are unexamined. Also, the movie would have benefited from a deeper examination of how the events at play impact the Catholic doctrine. “Immaculate” is a good genre exercise but what prevents it from being great is the screenplay’s lack of depth.
Its third-act climax falls victim to some hoary cliches and requires a suspension of disbelief that will tax the patience of some viewers. Still, when all the pieces fall together – which happens more times than not – “Immaculate” delivers not just effective shocks but a disturbing look at how religious fervor can become so easily compromised and the justifiable can quickly turn to horror.
3 Stars
