There's no denying that Sydney Sweeney is very much the it girl of Hollywood right now. A meteoric rise to stardom thanks to the likes of HBO shows such as Euphoria and The White Lotus, Sweeney is now starring in box-office smashes such as Anyone But You and sure to survive box-office catastrophes such as Madame Web. Turning her hand to producing sees her latest film, Immaculate, provide her with a horror vehicle to lead after years of trying to get it off the ground.
American nun, Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney) embarks on a new journey when she joins a remote convent in the Italian countryside. However, her warm welcome quickly turns into a living nightmare when she discovers her new home harbours a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.
The promise is there for Immaculate to lead the way for the horror genre in 2024; a high-profile lead actress, strong rating and religious themes that have worked so well in the past. With that in mind, Immaculate feels like a bit of a missed opportunity to be something truly special. It's perfectly fine and there's fun to be had however, Andrew Lobel's writing feels unwilling to lean too much into the absurdity of the narrative when it should fully embrace it. Yes, it has its moments - an insanely bold ending being exactly what you want from this kind of film - it's just that the rest is a little too safe, littered with predictable jump scares we've become immune to right about now in the genre.
It's a great looking film, Michael Mohan utilising Elisha Christian's cinematography to deliver some striking religious imagery amidst the beautiful convent setting in the Italian countryside. Look out for an intense sequence in the dark of the catacombs beneath the convent, where visuals and performances combine to provide the film with a thrilling climax. It's just a shame the writing on the film doesn't match up to the other departments.
Immaculate feels like an audition for Sydney Sweeney to become the next scream queen and she delivers a fine performance here, the fear of her surroundings earlier on in the film more than matched by the fearlessness she possesses during the latter stages. Horror is a great genre to amass a new batch of fans, Sweeney's performance here one that will make you keen to see her in more horror films down the line. There's decent support from the rest of the cast, Benedetta Porcaroli boisterous as Sister Gwen while Álvaro Morte raises suspicions through his turn as Father Sal Tedeschi.
Very much a mixed bag for me, Immaculate doesn't do enough to stand-out as a true horror great. Yes, it has gore and violent nuns on its side however, it falls into some generic traps that really do hold it back.
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