Horror in the Convent in “Immaculate”

Sydney Sweeney serves as the star and producer of this disturbing horror film.

Summary

Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney), a young American novice, is invited to join a convent in the Italian countryside. What appears to be a welcoming place at first turns into the stage of a nightmare as the protagonist discovers the sinister secrets of her new home.

Production History

Originally, Sydney Sweeney auditioned for the role in 2014, when she was seventeen years old. At that time, the script featured a cast of teenage students instead of nuns. The project got stuck in development, and the film never entered production.

However, after her professional success over the past years, Sweeney purchased the rights to the screenplay herself and served as a producer for the film.

Truly Terrifying

What I liked the most about Immaculate, was the fact that it committed to the genre. There are no bits of comedy, and there are no cheap jump scares. From the very first minutes, it sets the tone for what is going to happen, starting with a disturbing scene. Also, it doesn’t extend its running time unnecessarily and is capable of telling a compelling and interesting story in just an hour and a half.

Sydney Sweeney’s performance is great. I’ve been very critical of her work in other productions, but in this case, she deserves some praise. Dramatic roles suit her much better than comedies. For this role, she has to portray a big transformation: the young girl who arrives at the convent, looking to find the purpose God has given her, is very different from the one at the end.

Cecilia is forced to go through an experience that is extremely traumatic, not just for her mind but for her body. The strange circumstances of her pregnancy, as well as the destructive and abnormal symptoms, give us the clue that, whatever is happening to her, it’s not a miracle.

The protagonist’s journey and her attempts to uncover the truth in a place that seems more dangerous with every passing day become a terrifying adventure—one that doesn’t shy away from showing violence and blood. As the pregnancy progresses and Cecilia becomes weaker, her chances of escaping start to lower. Sweeney is capable of transmitting that desperation and horror to the audience.

Controversies

After its release in the U.S., some people have accused Immaculate of promoting abortion. This idea comes, of course, from the violent ending of the film, which left some audience members with a sour taste in their mouths. Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in the U.S. and the stance the entertainment industry has taken on the subject, it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the intention of the people behind this film.

However, the characters that represent the Church in the film, like Father Tedeschi, hold particular views on their purpose in the world. Purposes that go directly against their alleged faith. As far as I know, the Catholic Church doesn’t look kindly on artificial insemination, and the Father goes as far as to try and artificially create a miracle, a Messiah, through it. As Cecilia points out to Tedeschi, he is trying to play God. Looking at it this way, one could also interpret that the villain is not the institution itself, but the individuals who use the power given to them to feed their fanaticism.

I’m not sure if I’m reading too much into the whole thing, but one way or another, I believe both interpretations could be valid.

I mention this controversy specifically in the U.S. because the Immaculate hasn’t been released in a lot of countries yet.

In spite of that, so far, the film is getting close to $20.000.000 in the worldwide box office, according to The Numbers, with a production budget of $9.000.000. It has received positive reviews, and with Sweeney’s name in it, we can suppose this project is going to be, at least, moderately profitable.

Horror is not a genre I consider myself an expert in, but I believe Immaculate provides a story that is interesting, and also manages to leave you shaken. More than what can be said about some other recent horror films. That being the case, it made a pretty good impression on me.