A horror movie set in an Italian convent with a title like Immaculate communicates all there is to know about the plot. A young American nun, Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney), travels to her new post in the remote countryside, only to discover she’s miraculously pregnant soon after taking her vows. Director Michael Mohan and screenwriter Andrew Lobel pack in the Italian horror influences, with Suspiria largely presiding over this religious horror entry and blasphemous imagery in spades. But the film’s breakneck plotting, inert jump scare overreliance, and familiar tropes undermine a fierce performance by its lead.
Despite the stunning, labyrinthine, and ornate halls of the sprawling convent, the cast of characters in Immaculate is rather small. The sweet fish-out-of-water Sister Cecilia instantly bonds with Father Sal (Álvaro Morte) and the feisty Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcaroli) yet draws angry stares from Sister Mary (Simona Tabasco). Toss in a few eccentric or stern Church elders, and you have a small pool of suspects and allies when inferring what’s ahead for the heroine. While Mohan does push the gore and edgy religious imagery, it’s fairly easy to stay a step ahead of the events, as well as the jump scares that come frequently and without tension or impact.
Photo Credit: NEON
It’s not helped by the sparse script. Immaculate zips through its 90-minute runtime as if it’s going to be late for Sunday service, rushing through the pregnancy trimesters to get to a gonzo finale. Trimesters serve as chapter markers for the horror progression here, with the film hurling past alarming pregnancy side effects instead of letting them sink in.
The lack of connective tissue between each major plot point doesn’t do the movie any favors, either. There’s a minimalist approach to the overarching horror that works, but less so when it comes to its blank-slate characters. Sister Cecilia has no identity before her arrival, save for a single childhood accident that left her dead for seven minutes. That her life is now dedicated solely to Christ means that it’s the only thing that defines her at all, save for her immaculate conception. That also extends to the supporting characters; Sister Gwen’s sole defining trait is that she fled to the Church to escape an abusive relationship. It’s less a means to flesh out this world or its characters and more a specific detail contributing to the plot or its forward momentum.
While Mohan leans into Italian horror to establish a welcome Gothic horror atmosphere, Immaculate doesn’t lean hard enough into its influences. There are bursts of shocking violence or bloodletting, but Mohan waits to unleash the full insanity for the film’s final minutes. Instead, the buildup getting there relies more on attempting to invert Rosemary’s Baby or even The Omen for its scathing critique of the Church. Look for a blatant hat tip to New French Extremity, too.
Sydney Sweeney is this familiar religious horror movie’s saving grace. Sister Cecilia is a doe-eyed innocent whose unlikely circumstances force her into a tremendously satisfying arc. She attempts to outmaneuver a powerful foe, and when things really go off the rails, Sweeney plunges headfirst into a primal ferocity that leads to one bold, crowd-cheering conclusion.
It’s not enough to pull Immaculate back from the brink, though. A handsome production, great lead, and daring approach to religious iconography get offset by pacing that makes this effort feel as though it’s playing at double the speed, without any room to let its audience breathe. Familiar tropes and an inability to break free from its influences suffocate all of what works about Immaculate.
Immaculate made its World Premiere at SXSW and releases in theaters on March 22, 2024.
