Rating: 3.5/5
Cecilia migrates to Italy to join a convent after the one at home closed down. Though Cecilia isn’t sure what God’s plan for her is, she believes she’s where she is supposed to be.
The centuries-old convent holds its share of secrets. So when the resident doctor determines that Cecilia has miraculously conceived a child, Cecilia cannot help but wonder if there is more to the story.
The film explores bodily autonomy in the context of the Catholic church and nunnery. Does giving yourself to God include the consent for God to impregnate you? When you are at the mercy of men, how do you differentiate between the work of God or the devil in disguise?
The film does not go as deeply into these ideas as the movie first suggests. Sidney Sweeney’s starring role adds a meta-layer to the conversation of consent, as men on the internet lay claim to her body and likeness, just as they do with all women who do nude roles.
The movie looks gorgeous. The sets are lush with texture, and the costumes are adorned with detail. The gore is shocking and, frankly, too graphic for the story — the film rivals Ari Aster in its fixation on head/face trauma. Similarly, the movie relies on jump scares for scenes where the tension is sufficient without it.
The score isn’t surprising, full of hymn references and booming textures. A montage segment makes the Italian nunsploitation homage text as Will Bates’s score takes on Sergio Leone-esque textures reminiscent of his scores for exploitation films from the 70s.
The crowd at my showing was vocal in the best way — audible gasps and appropriate laughs. That heightened the experience for sure.
I didn’t expect to like this movie as much as I did, but this is a lovingly constructed horror movie that is well worth seeing in theaters.