Immaculate is a new horror-drama film starring Sydney Sweeney who is fresh off the success of Anyone But You which grossed over $200 million, a big deal for a rom-com. The film is directed by Michael Mohan and focuses on Sister Cecilia, who becomes pregnant. She is bewildered, since she is a virgin, while the convent’s mostly male leaders are eager to interrogate her over her sexual activity, then a tad too elated about the miracle gestating under their roof. When I came across this film I was too excited because this sounds like the perfect horror film especially with Sweeney as the lead. However, generally horror films have let me down. So, is Immaculate actually immaculate? Let’s find out!
Immaculate Reviews: Sydney Sweeney Steals The Show and Saves The Film!
If I were to draw a consensus of the critics’ reviews then “Immaculate” is immaculate in conception but not so much in execution. However, what could’ve been a trainwreck is miraculously saved by a career defining performance from Sydney Sweeney. The film currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 78% from 68 reviews and an IMDb rating of 5.8/10. Read the reviews below:
Brian Lowry (CNN.com) – “Sweeney ably carries the film on that level, though there are beats courtesy of director Michael Mohan and screenwriter Andrew Lobel as likely to elicit uncomfortable chuckles from the audience as fear.”
Manohla Dargis (New York Times) – ““Immaculate” is a scare-fest with a plucky heroine, an irreverent hot-button twist and just enough narrative ambiguity to give viewers something to argue about.”
David Fear (Rolling Stone) – “It’s a jaw-dropping climax. If only the rest of this messy midnight-movie mass was worthy of it.”
Lindsey Bahr (Associated Press) – “There were some lofty ideas behind Immaculate that seem underserved (about bodily autonomy and such) and she gets several memorable movie star moments, but I want more for Sweeney than whatever this adds up to.” Original Score: 2/4
Jen Yamato (Washington Post) – “Anchored by an impressive performance by Sydney Sweeney, the bloodshed isn’t just welcome but cathartic, a gonzo takedown of religious patriarchy with one hell of a memorable finale that reconfirms the good news: Nunsploitation is back, baby.” Original Score: 2.5/5
Dylan Roth (Observer) – “The first half of this movie has a point to make about oppression and exploitation dressed up as love. And point made, it swings confidently to bloody, sinewy body horror.” Original Score: 3/4
Katie Walsh (Tribune News Service) – “Blood-soaked and candlelit, Michael Mohan’s “Immaculate” disabuses the notion that any conception is ever without sin.” Original Score: 3/4
Kim Newman (Empire Magazine) – “Immaculate has the look of something as lightly spooky as the Nun films, but is prepared to go a lot further — abetted by a committed lead performance — than your average haunted convent picture.”
Radheyan Simonpillai (Guardian) – “Sweeney’s fight for bodily autonomy, against religious fanatics in Immaculate, transcends the screen in a way most B-movies like it could only pray for.” Original Score: 4/5
David Sexton (New Statesman) – “A slow burn punctuated by jump shots and splashes of gore, driven by a powerful score. Sweeney carries the film, just.”
Siddhant Adlakha (Inverse) – “Its door hinges creak at a comically loud volume, making it difficult to stay invested. When tension is finally released, it takes exactly the form you’d expect. Anytime the camera lands on something truly unsettling, it’s quick to cut away.”
Bill Goodykoontz (Arizona Republic) – “Sweeney pulls off both aspects of the fight, but even she gets lost amid the carnage. “Immaculate” goes all in on the yuck, but leaves the rest high and dry.” Original Score: 3/5
Derek Smith (Slant Magazine) – “The film’s final act contains some of the most twisted, gory violence this particular subgenre of horror has seen in years, ultimately recalling nothing less than the films of the ultra-violent New French Extremity movement.” Original Score: 2.5/4
Stephen Saito (Variety) – “An enjoyable if uneven horror film cut from a slightly different cloth than its religious brethren with a captivating turn from its star.”
Katie Rife (IGN Movies) – “Immaculate has all the elements of a successful religious horror movie: A macabre setting, a rising star, a disturbing premise, and creepy imagery. It’s beautifully shot, and very loud. But much of the film is simply too mild and reliant on jump scares.” Original Score: 6/10
Valerie Complex (Deadline Hollywood Daily) – “The biggest flaw lies within the film’s narrative structure and character development, particularly in how Sister Cecilia interacts with the unfolding horror.”
Brian Tallerico (RogerEbert.com) – “There are SO many interesting themes to play with but the team behind “Immaculate” are almost defiant in their unwillingness to do anything interesting with them, too content to use jump scares instead of actually crafting mood or maintaining atmosphere.” Original Score: 1.5/4
Meagan Navarro (Bloody Disgusting) – “The film’s breakneck plotting, inert jump scare overreliance, and familiar tropes undermine a fierce performance by its lead.” Original Score: 2.5/5
Lovia Gyarkye (Hollywood Reporter) – “Even Sweeney can’t save the film.”
Robert Daniels (Screen International) – “By the time the film develops a perceptible pulse, it’s nearly over. The final tiny freakout is overly sanitised, relying on tawdry visual effects and isolated shocks of violence to demand an unearned angst on the part of the viewer.”
Immaculate is playing in theatres near you.
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