IMMACULATE
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Benedetta Porcaroli, Dora Romano, Giorgio Colangeli, and Simona Tabasco
Director: Michael Mohan
KATIE
I absolutely loved Immaculate. It gave me far more than I signed up for in the best way possible, and as well as looking fantastic, the tone strikes a perfect balance between shlocky body horror, creepy atmosphere, bloody violence, and genuine scares. It also has some impactful and timely themes, exploring the idea of patriarchal forces attempting to control and claim ownership over women’s bodies, as well as the deluded justifications for it imposed by religious fanaticism. Sydney Sweeney’s performance as Sister Cecilia is phenomenal, and the jaw-dropping final sequence is already one of my favourite horror moments of this year.
ADRIANO
I enjoyed the insanity of Immaculate much more than I thought I would. I'm not saying it's great; it's not. The film mostly relies on cheap scare tactics and gore that lessen the impact during the more genuinely tense scenes, and the film's eerie atmosphere is weakened by the opening sequence. What's more, the film's stance on religion boils down to nothing interesting. However, I can't deny the film's enjoyment factor when it hits some truly insane peaks. Sydney Sweeney is great, and the final shot is genuinely terrific. As imperfect as it is, I'm really glad I watched Immaculate.
NICK
I recently saw The First Omen, and while I wasn’t a fan, that movie is light-years better than Immaculate. Aside from a fine yet unremarkable performance from Sydney Sweeney, there’s nothing I really enjoyed here. The film is visually dark and drab, the effects are sub-par, the supporting performances do nothing to stand out, and, overall, the movie just goes through the motions. As there are very similar story beats, I’m curious how people who have seen both this and The First Omen compare the two films because, for me, this actually led to me retroactively enjoying Omen more.
