Immaculate (2024) Review – A Gory And Shocking Twist On Religious Horror
Immaculate: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A solid, albeit formulaic, entry into the religious horror sub-genre that is elevated by a powerhouse performance from Sydney Sweeney. Immaculate begins as a methodical, atmospheric exploration of life in a sinister Italian convent before making a sharp, bloody pivot into full-blown slasher territory. While it struggles with some extreme predictability and an overly dark visual grade, the film succeeds through its willingness to go for the jugular in its final act. It serves as a visceral commentary on bodily autonomy while delivering enough traditional horror thrills to satisfy most genre fans. It is a 3-star effort that doesn’t quite redefine the category but provides a memorable, blood-soaked finale that justifies the journey.
Details: Director: Michael Mohan | Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Benedetta Porcaroli | Runtime: 1h 29m | Release Date: 22 March 2024
Best for: Fans of “Nun-sploitation,” viewers who appreciate a strong female lead, and those looking for a modern religious horror that isn’t afraid to get messy.
Worth noting: Sydney Sweeney originally auditioned for this script nearly a decade ago; after the project stalled, she eventually purchased the rights and produced it herself.
Where to Watch: Amazon🛒
Rating: 3/5 Stars
(Standout lead performance, brutal kills, slightly generic plot)
Welcome to Knockout Horror and to our review of religious horror movie Immaculate from 2024.
Highlights
A Sydney Sweeney pet project
Sydney Sweeney is a name I have been hearing a lot, recently. To be perfectly honest, I don’t watch anything other than horror movies so I had no clue who she was outside of “she has big boobs and people on Twitter talk about her”. While the former point is most definitely true and clearly on display at multiple points in Immaculate. It also turns out that she is a pretty decent actor and has a fair bit of sway in the movie making world. As evidenced by her bringing Immaculate to life.
After originally auditioning for a role in the movie back when she was 17. The project was ditched and, as it does, time moved on. Fast forward to a few years back and the much more well known Sydney Sweeney revived the movie under her Fifty-Fifty Films production company. Signing on Michael Mohan to direct and adopting the leading role. The movie was brought back to life and here we are today.
Immaculate follows the story of young nun Sister Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney). Cecilia moves to a convent in Italy to work for the Church. After nearly dying at a young age, Cecilia turned to God and has been searching for her life’s purpose ever since. After a short while at the convent, it becomes clear that the idyllic appearance of the place and the people within it may just be a front. As something incredibly sinister hides under the surface.
Run of the mill religious horror
Immaculate is a fairly “by the numbers” religious horror for most of its length. You have seen this all before in every other horror movie that focuses on Catholicism, and the church, hiding something evil. It starts off slow with Cecilia engaging in every day chores and tasks at the convent. Before giving us just a little hint at something more seedy hiding under the sheets.
“Immaculate is a fairly ‘by the numbers’ religious horror for most of its length. You have seen this all before.”
It’s familiar and fairly predictable. The slow burn first half does a nice job of drawing you in. And an opening scene that reveals a little of the horrifying history of the convent gives you something to keep digging for. But there isn’t a tremendous amount to write home about. It’s simply plain old religious horror with all of the usual trappings of the genre.
Catholic iconography pushes along the narrative. With references to stigmata and the cross acting as suitably brutal hints at what is to come later on. But there isn’t really anything new here. Cecilia is a likeable character played fantastically by Sweeney and some of the other nuns, Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcaroli) in particular, add some levity to the otherwise serious plot. But it is nothing that you haven’t seen before.
It suddenly turns into full blown carnage
When things get going, the religious mask starts to slip a little and we see that this is, simply, a fairly standard horror movie. Whereas most religious horror movies go deep into the themes of religion and the conclusion is very much grounded in said themes, Immaculate kind of pushes that to one side and transforms into a normal horror movie with a very familiar villain. Albeit a gory one with some genuinely shocking moments.
Jump scares abound and a drawn out game of cat and mouse takes place, making this feel less like a religious horror and more just a horror movie set in a convent. The constricting nature of Cecilia’s environment plays second fiddle to the whims of old-school style horror movie villains with nefarious intentions. The initial reasoning for why Cecilia finds herself in the situation she does seems unimportant, as it suddenly becomes less about matters of the church and more about the matters of insane people.
“The religious mask starts to slip a little and we see that this is, simply, a fairly standard horror movie.”
A big consequence of this is that the movie becomes very predictable. You know what is going to happen next. You know what to expect and you know when to expect it. It is hard to shake the feeling that Immaculate loses its way somewhere along the line. Forgetting what it wanted to be and becoming something altogether ordinary.
Still very watchable
Despite those observations, this is still a very watchable and enjoyable horror movie. It’s gory, violent, and, ultimately, a lot of fun in parts. The last half is much less deep than the first but horror fans will likely appreciate some of the more gruesome kills and enjoy the traditional horror pacing. Sydney Sweeney is fantastic, as Cecilia, as well, so makes for an easy-to-like protagonist.
I do have to criticise some of the image quality in this movie. Although cinematography is, generally, great with some fantastic scenes very much worthy of note and a distinct aesthetic nod to European cinema of the 70s. This movie is dull. And when I say dull I mean “strain your eyes” dull. I never want a movie to force me to check my well-calibrated television settings, but this did.
It should be noted that there are a few shocking moments here and there that some may not appreciate. Immaculate could be taken as a commentary on a woman’s right to bodily autonomy. Especially in the wake of some of the farcical events in America over the past year or so.
“If you are looking for a gory horror movie with some great kills and a likeable protagonist, you should definitely watch Immaculate.”
Director Michael Mohan is keen to, at least, stoke the fires on that point in gruesome fashion. Sweeney’s committed performance makes scenes that pertain to this all the more shocking and effective. Making for a powerful, blood soaked, middle finger to the right wing.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Sydney Sweeney: Delivers a truly committed and physically demanding performance that anchors the entire film.
- The Ending: A bold, shocking, and unapologetically grim conclusion that elevates the movie above standard religious thrillers.
- Gore: The practical effects and kills are suitably nasty and surprisingly effective.
The Bad
- Predictability: The mystery elements are fairly obvious, following a path well-trodden by many other religious horrors.
- Visuals: The cinematography is frequently too dark, making some scenes a literal chore to see.
- Tonal Shift: The transition from high-concept religious mystery to standard slasher is a bit jarring.
The Ugly: The “Autonomy” subtext. The film uses its horror framework to mirror some very real, and very disturbing, political themes regarding women’s bodies.
Should You Watch Immaculate?
Yes, especially if you want to see Sydney Sweeney prove her acting chops in a role that is far more than just “big boobs and Twitter talk.” It’s an enjoyable, well-paced horror that delivers exactly what it promises: blood, nuns, and a satisfyingly dark finale. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a great Friday night watch.
Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight
Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.
A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.
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