Immaculate, 2024.
Directed by Michael Mohan.
Starring Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Benedetta Porcaroli, Dora Romano, Giorgio Colangeli, Simona Tabasco, Giampiero Judica, and Niccolò Senni.
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.
Immaculate collaborators Sydney Sweeney and director Michael Mohan have been pretty open about passionately developing this project together, trusting one another, and retooling it along the way (alongside screenwriter Andrew Lobel), but the result is still missing some depth and not nearly scary or tense enough, save for a rousing climax with screams and shocks, that one wishes the filmmakers/star put their heads together and did one more rewrite to expand the story and flesh aspects out. It’s that close to being worthwhile and substantial. Mohan’s and Sweeney’s film together, The Voyeurs, faltered similarly in that there was a shoddy script with material that took a while to become exciting.
Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney) had thought God had bigger plans for her ever since she survived a freak drowning accident when she was 12, pronounced dead for seven minutes before being revived back to consciousness. It is also clear that she comes from a somewhat broken home, believing that traveling to the Italian countryside to take her vows as a novice at a convent is her purpose.
Upon arriving in Italy, an immigration officer checking some paperwork says what we are all thinking, voicing surprise that she (in our minds, Sydney Sweeney) is not exactly who someone imagines when they think of a nun. He also puts a misogynistic twist on the wording, implying that her body would be going to waste, which fittingly sets the thematic stage for an examination of the patriarchy within this religious circle.
A quick prologue also lets viewers know that this is not an ordinary convent, and the women are being used and promptly discarded in violent ways for some holy reason by mysterious figures cloaked in black robes and blood-red masks. During the daytime, Deacons, priests, other nuns, and mother superiors show Cecilia what life is like in the convent, whether it be how to comfort and care for the dying residents or dry clothes (showing off elegant costumes and production design in the process.) Cecilia also makes the acquaintance of Sister Mary (Simona Tabasco), a nonreligious woman who simply joined the convent to escape some personal baggage, and Sister Isabelle (Benedetta Porcaroli), a devout follower.
More startling than any of the numerous jump scares on display here (which are mostly frustrating because what’s happening on screen would be unsettling without loud noises) is just how little Immaculate does with exploring those dynamics and supporting characters. The film is in a rush to get to the craziness it has in a story that it never really bothers to tell a compelling, chilling story about any of these people.
Without spoiling anything, Cecilia magically becomes pregnant “without sin,” causing the convent to believe she is a chosen one for something divine. Before any of this could be put into greater context within these three women and what they believe, Immaculate is hurling itself into a series of attempted flees and survival scenarios. Sister Isabelle actually wants this to happen to her body and instantly becomes jealous of Cecelia, which goes nowhere. Meanwhile, Sister Mary remains justifiably skeptical.
Even the inherent theme of men controlling women’s bodies is tackled at the surface level. The screenplay has almost nothing going on but the bare minimum details of the plot, sprinting towards a wild third act that also feels like it’s in a rush and never fully takes off. It’s unfortunate, considering Sydney Sweeney has worked to make this character stand out in the convent for the right reasons, excelling at expressing spiritual belief and the more physical aspects during the climax, including a remarkable scream scene fully tapping into the true meaning of suffering. The problem for Immaculate is that, long before then, one is internally screaming for something more thoughtful, intense, and less generic.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published March 21, 2024. Updated March 24, 2024.
