Sydney Sweeney's 10-Year Effort Was Worth It: 'Immaculate' Movie Review
Having been raised Catholic, I can confirm that the third act of Michael Mohan's Immaculate is straight-up shocking. Living as a person with a uterus in 2024, it is … kind of satisfying? Perhaps that opinion in and of itself is taboo, seeing as many in my theater were gasping things like, “Oh no!” and “Don’t do it!” Sydney Sweeney says it took about 10 years for the Immaculate movie to get made, and that she was able to update it to make it more relevant to current times. It certainly feels painfully resonant, with commentary on bodily autonomy, abortion, and the sinister nature of organizations meant to protect us.
Immaculate follows Sister Cecilia (Sweeney), as she arrives in Italy to join an exclusive convent that cares for dying nuns in their final days. It’s hard to describe someone who is as stunningly beautiful as Sydney Sweeney as an underdog, but such are her acting abilities that I was immediately rooting for Sister Cecilia.
I felt protective over her as she entered the country, and the male customs officials made comments to each other about how it was a “waste” for such a pretty girl to become a nun. She quickly becomes a fish out of water as seemingly the only person who cannot speak Italian, and catches the judging eye of Sister Isabelle (Giulia Heathfield Di Renzi), who matter-of-factly tells her, “Death is a part of everyday life here.” Is it ever.
Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte), on the other hand, is thrilled to see Sister Cecilia, as are Mother Superior (Dora Romano), and some of the elderly nuns. After taking her vows, Sister Cecilia and Father Tedeschi share some wine, which already feels a bit off. She tells him why she has devoted herself to Christ, citing a miracle when she was 12 years old.
She was resuscitated after crashing through ice into freezing cold water and flatlining for seven minutes. Sister Cecilia assumes God must have saved her for a reason, she just doesn’t know what it is yet. “Too much blood of Christ?” another nun jokes to Sister Cecilia the following day, adding levity to a strange yet seemingly not unsafe situation. It is a horror movie though, so things only get darker and stranger from there.
Sister Cecilia quickly falls ill, leading us to the title of the film, Immaculate, as in immaculate conception. An off-handed comment from the convent’s physician, Doctor Gallo (Giampiero Judica), about how Cecilia’s hymen was intact when she arrived, makes me vomit in my mouth a little, but does a good job of showing the outdated priorities of the church, and setting the tone for the reality Sister Cecilia now finds herself in. The convent is a bevy of devoted women blindly following a handful of men, without question, lest they face brutal punishment, as depicted in the opening moments of the film.
Not saying that they are connected, but it is interesting to note that Sweeney’s character has the same name as the protagonist of The Invisible Man, powerfully played by Elisabeth Moss. They’re both strong, otherwise well-intentioned women who find themselves doing the unthinkable to escape the insufferable, suffocating grasp of the patriarchy. In one, that evil comes in the form of an abusive ex-boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen); in another, it’s - well, I’ll let you see.
Immaculate keeps you guessing, ratcheting up the tension right until the gory end. If you’re familiar with feminist horror, you may see a few things coming, but sussing out the entire storyline is unlikely - though looking back, there are certainly clues to be found. I'm interested to see what else I notice on subsequent viewings. Sweeney more than proves her acting chops in brutal, close-up shots of anger, frustration, and despair, that could have easily come across as cheesy or laughable in the hands of lesser talent.
Sister Cecilia is chaste, dutiful, and sincere. She is often reminded of Bible verse Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Of course the Catholic church would celebrate meek women, the quiet, submissive kind that live to do what they are told. At this convent - and parts of the United States - being meek is sort of the only option for women, as any kind of dissent is met with harsh punishment. The themes of Immaculate are particularly poignant in a time when laws are being passed in the "land of the free" forcing women to give birth, labeling trans people and drag performers as pedophiles, and punishing anyone who tries to help.
Movies like Immaculate are why the horror genre is so great, and far more nuanced and meaningful than some people (ahem, The Academy) would like us to believe. All of the hate and backwards legislation can make you feel helpless, and a gory, f***ed up horror movie is a cathartic way to work through some of those scary emotions. Think of it as an 89-minute therapy session... but only if you're into alternative exercises.* Those typically cost a lot more than the price of a movie ticket.
Sweeney has cemented herself as a "Scream Queen," while putting on a masterclass in acting. Her vulnerability as Sister Cecilia, particularly in the final act, is so palpable and visceral you almost want to look away - but you can't. Sweeney says that was the very first take of that scene, which makes it even more impressive.
Mohan also played with the graininess of the film - with help from Mandy and Watchmen colorist Andrea Chlebak - highlighting the ups and downs of Cecilia's journey with different levels of clarity. It's one of the many things that makes Immaculate the kind of movie you're going to want to watch more than once.
Immaculate is in theaters now - and it's really fun to watch with an audience.
* In all seriousness, go to traditional therapy, too.
