Immaculate (2024)

Immaculate (2024) is a rather disturbing and well-made film. It can leave you feeling quite shaken… if you still have any sensitivity left in you.

Cecilia, a young American nun, moves into an isolated convent in the Italian countryside. She receives a warm welcome, but Cecilia soon realizes that her new home harbors a sinister secret and that terrible things are happening there…

The intro is disturbing and sets the tone, as is often the case, but here it’s rather successful.

A descent into hell in an unhealthy convent!

If you’re watching this film for Sydney Sweeney, you’ve come to the right place. This is not the case for a film like Under the Silver Lake (2018), for example. In fact, I haven’t seen it yet, but I don’t think she has a very big role in it. I’m basing this on certain websites that didn’t even mention her name in the film’s description.

In any case, her performance is a treat. It seems to me that she has quite an advantage, given that her face and especially her eyes are very expressive. We see her as shy and embarrassed at first, but then she goes through phases that show us her anxious, terrified, and angry sides, until she descends into madness and savagery.

The film rests on her shoulders. She is the only one who stands out here.

So… who is this film for?

I think it’s a bit underrated because it’s not a gory film. So horror fans are bound to be disappointed. That doesn’t stop there being a fair amount of blood (and some vomiting) in the second half, which may cause disgust in others. Yes, we’re not all equal when it comes to this kind of film! There are those who desperately seek subtlety in fear and those who want more and more unbearable violence.

For my part, I hate Dario Argento’s films, for example, even though he is considered one of, if not the master of the genre. For me, it’s just talentless perversion… and I admit that it gives me great pleasure to rile up his fans who swear by him.

Admittedly, the story is far-fetched, sprinkled with sectarianism linked to the Catholic religion. Imagine for a moment the scandal this film would have caused if it had targeted a different religion…

Avoid this film if you are very religious, or even if you are not particularly religious but believe that there are certain limits that should not be crossed when it comes to horror films about religion. For you, the final scene will be the culmination of what the film will be for you: blasphemy.

Right! I’ll finish by saying something predictable, because it’s always the same. Those who hate gore will find it bloody enough as it is, and those who love torture porn, for example, will compare this film to Walt Disney, thinking themselves very clever and intelligent. It’s almost hilarious!

But as far as I’m concerned, ‘Immaculate’ is a good film. I’ve seen it twice and I think that’s enough because it’s too uncomfortable. There are moments of boredom, probably unnecessary scenes, but I enjoyed the moments when you hear the Italians speaking in their language and the main protagonist doesn’t understand what’s being said. To say that Sweeney seems to be on sedatives when she’s not screaming is extremely disrespectful and inappropriate. She really gave it her all here, and it’s a shame if people don’t see that or don’t want to see it.

The ending is powerful, and I don’t believe for a second all those arrogant people who say it was predictable and that they saw it coming. People talk a lot, but what have they done with their own lives?