Immaculate
Introduction
This film may well be a distant cousin of the English film The First Omen given how both films have almost the exact same premise. But the differentiator lies in the world building and an attempt to create an atmospheric horror in The First Omen, as compared to the standard tropes used in Immaculate. This is not to say that Immaculate is a weaker film by any stretch of imagination. It definitely works well at the concept level but smaller tweaks in the screenplay would have further elevated the drama. I am actually having a spookfest this week with as many as three films featuring some levels of horror that I have covered. So after Kakuda and Longlegs, I decided to head the ‘Immaculate’ way with minimal expectations given how horror is the purest form is essentially a hit and a miss kind of a genre. The name itself was an indicator that this will be a religious thriller given that Immaculate was the term used for Mother Mary who was regarded as Mother Immaculate for giving birth to Lord Jesus Christ. And from its posters, it did seem to me that this was another film exploring nunsploitation, a subgenre originating from the 1970s in European countries. Given the ‘not-so-original’ theme of the film, I needed to keep my expectations from the film in check. So then does Immaculate manage to spring a surprise, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Immaculate follows the story of an American nun who embarks on a journey to join a convent in Italy. This until she discovers that the convent might be harbouring a terrifying secret. The story here might seem generic with its setup but it definitely works at a concept level. The thing with the horror genre is that I do not enter the film expecting it to have any sort of logic given how stray the proceedings generally are. But Immaculate definitely did spring a surprise in that regard despite it having an eerily similar premise as that of The First Omen that opens and has a similar setup. And because that film was a handy reference to me, this comparison did slightly derail the merits of Immaculate that comparitively suffers from a lesser sense of world building. But at its core, the film did click with me wherein I did feel that had the writing been slightly tweaked, then this may well have been a better product. The screenplay standing at a shade under 90 minutes is taut but I couldn’t help but think that it was atleast 20 minutes shorter than what it ought to have been. And those 20 minutes could have been utilized in the world building and more importantly in the revelation that came across as being convenient.
I would circle back to the premise of The First Omen that had an impressive sense of world building. It was the pixelated screen with a yellow filter that did welcome the viewers wherein a protagonist enters the convent in Europe even as she adjusts to her liberal roommate while being acquainted with a resounding secret. Now, even though the ‘secret’ in both films is different, the setup is similar. And here in Immaculate, I did feel that the world building was short-lived wherein atleast 10 odd minutes could have been added to the proceedings for the viewers to absorb the vibe of the drama, and in turn warm up to the atmospherics. The horror element here was a mix between being atmosphere to imducing jumpscares, and it almost amazed me as to how well it scored with the atmosphere despite the short-lived world building. But when it does try to go the jumpscare route, it tends to get generic.
The proceedings are still engaging even as the protagonist does find out that she is pregnant even whilst she hasn’t indulged in any physical intimacy with anyone(hence the name Immaculate). But at the same time, she is briefly acquainted with shrills in the night from a distant even while being privy to a suicide and being witness to a terrifying incident featuring her roommate that makes her want to believe that the convent is harbouring a terrifying secret. This, even as the immediate characters around her are helpful and respectful. This did bring me to the eventual revelation when the cat is out of the bag, and while the revelation was startling, the events leading up to it felt to be a clear case of convenient writing. It wasn’t as if the protagonist stumbled upon it but the revelation did unfold in the form of a conversation that I am not particularly a fan of. The writers did opt for an easy way out that didn’t quite sit well with me.
The events leading to the final act are quite engaging but again I would have liked the events to be layered and fleshed out a little more. The struggle and the eventual retaliation were definitely there but ideally, I would have liked more of it. Here I must also add that from the point of view of horror, the events do score pretty well. The turn of events are gory and bloody and well executed too, which made me realise that more of this was needed in the second act as well, even though the transition of the screenplay did fit in perfectly. The shocking finale act was haunting in many ways, almost being hair-raising with the constant shrieks and screams that would send a shiver down your spine. This was true even for the final scene that summed up a screenplay that was satisfactory and definitely had some interesting moments. A few tweaks along the way, and this may well have been a cult.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational with frequent bouts of religion integrated either through the lines or the symbols. The BGM is excellent and does contribute to the spooky ambience of the drama. The cinematography is brilliant as well comprising of frames that capture the haunting essence of the setting really well, while giving the drama the best chance to punch above its weight. The editing is crisp and taut too. Director Michael Mohan does a good job in constructing a drama that works really well at the concept level. Perhaps if the director had indulged in the world-building and atmospherics a little more while further fleshing out the final act, the drama would have further elevated. The direction is still good with the setting while controlling the proceedings in the middle quite well.
Performances
The performances are pretty good by the ensemble cast. Dora Romano as Mother Superior has her moments to shine. Giulia Heathfield Di as Sister Isabelle has an intimidating personality onscreen and she does a good job. Benedetta Porcaroli as Sister Gwen is excellent to witness and she does a great job by putting her expressions to good use. Alvaro Morte as Father Tedeschi is first rate in what was quite an unassuming character and a far cry from his act as the Professor in Money Heist. He has a terrific screen presence and does a smashing job. But the show belongs to Sydney Sweeney who is brilliant as Sister Cecilia. She uses her body language to her advantage while painting a picture of intrigue given how all events unfold through her gaze. She owns the arena in the finale act wherein she expresses beautifully that elevates the drama while hiding some if its flaws. She was incredible in every sense of the word.
Conclusion
Immaculate is a decent horror on Nunspoilation that is elevated by an immaculate performance by Sydney Sweeney who is brilliant to the core. With a few tweaks in the writing, this may well have been a better product but it still works at the concept level and accounts for a good watch, overall.
