As recent horror movies rarely live up to fans’ expectations, a horror hit has finally made it to the screens. “Immaculate” came out on March 22, starring Sydney Sweeney as Sister Cecilia, the main nun around whom the film is centered. The film was directed by Michael Mohan, who had plans for this film for almost a decade before it went into production in late 2022. With the planning and ideas for the movie spanning many years, the outcome of the film ended up living up to the title.
“Immaculate” is based around the horrifying experience of Sister Cecilia, a devout Christian, after a near-death experience as a child. Cecilia is later invited to a seemingly divine convent in Italy to become a nun and take care of elderly nuns. Her stay at this convent seems more than wonderful at first glance, but as time goes by, Cecilia begins to realize the beyond-malicious intentions of this so-called place of worship.
“Immaculate” has a very well-designed plot. The idea of turning a convent, a place that is typically viewed as sacred and holy, into a living nightmare of a place to be trapped in was brilliant in the long run. Along with this, the characters were also very well planned. Each character and each actor managed to fit their role perfectly and overall made this movie one of the better horror movies that has been released in recent years.
When it came down to the overall execution of the film, it was executed well for the main part. Even though the budget for the movie was only $9 million, the directors put it to good use. The set and costumes were designed perfectly and blended with the overall mood of the film. They were able to come up with an exceptional psychological thriller despite having a smaller budget.
Sweeney’s acting is what gave the film so much character. Sweeney did an extraordinary job of portraying her character and the character’s emotions, and it ended up adding so much to the movie overall by creating a certain atmosphere, which fed in well to the overall theme of the movie. Other actors in the film, such as Benedetta Porcaroli as Sister Gwen and Alvaro Morte as Father Sal Tedeschi, also did an extraordinary job portraying their characters. Morte was able to portray a certain mood about Father Sal Teschi, which made the film even creepier. Porcaroli was able to play Sister Gwen in a way to show her desperation to get herself, and Sister Cecilia out of the convent which was a key part of the overall plot of the movie.
The only downside to this movie was the ending. The ending felt rushed and it did not feel like the film was concluded properly. It was not fully explained what ended up happening to Sister Cecilia, and it made the ending feel a bit lacking when it came down to deciding her fate. It would have made the movie a little bit better to have a scene or two showing Sister Cecilia’s life after her experience in the cult-like convent instead of leaving the movie on a cliffhanger.
Overall, “Immaculate” ended up being a decent horror movie. With a creative plot and talented actors, the film ended up being a delightful movie to watch. The ending may have lacked a bit when it came to wrapping the movie up, but compared to present-day horror movies, this one ended up living up to its name of being “Immaculate.”
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