I always found it a bit funny when Hollywood churns out movies that have similar plots to compete against each other. Back in the 90s Armageddon dueled the same year with Deep Impact, when disaster films were all the rage. 2024 had the same situation, though not in the form of big blockbusters, but this time in the form of two horror films about nuns and strange pregnancies taking place within the confines of the convent. The prequel to The Omen was better than I had anticipated, and when Immaculate was released, I just never got around to seeing it … at least until now. While The First Omen is a slow burn that actually pairs well with the first film, Immaculate I feel is the more bloody and popcorn-friendly romp that I feel fits into the sub-genre of nunsploitation (something I wouldn’t object to seeing more of). So is this film worth congregating in front of the television for 90 minutes, or is this a hard pass in a year that seems to flourish with quality horror films, but not much of anything else?
Cecilia (Sweeney) is travelling from the States to live in Italy, where she is going to take her vows to the church. She’s been devout to her faith ever since she survived falling through the ice and nearly drowning. We don’t really get much more about her life back in the States, and that’s fine. The film does a good job of quickly establishing who Cecilia is. She’s sweet but naïve; you know, basically catnip for those with bad intentions in a horror film. The first friend Cecilia makes at the convent is ironically a nun with a bad-girl streak who joined the church more out of convenience than out of faith. Of course there are other members of the church. Most are just used to be ominous figures, but mostly the focus is on Cecilia and the main priest at the convent, Father Sal Tedeschi (Alvaro Morte).
What works in this film is the atmosphere that is created at the convent. It’s equally beautiful and creepy and immediately gives off a haunted- house vibe. Even from the opening sequence where we watch a young girl attempt to escape the convent, it is a brief and effective sequence that shows us that once someone crosses the threshold of the property, there is no escape, and these nuns are not afraid to inflict some pain. The film isn’t trying to give the audience an authentic experience about what goes on in the church. This is a far cry from Conclave; this is a story that wants to have fun and suggest that these nuns are just bad to their core and will do anything in the name of their savior. So when Cecilia discovers she is pregnant, we know this is not a “blessing”, and as we discover along with the character what is going on at the convent and the truth behind her pregnancy, it takes us on a creepy escapist ride that has plenty of bloodshed to keep horror fiends happy.
While I do love the Giallo feel of this film, and this certainly delivers on the violence and most importantly the transition we see with Cecilia over the course of the film, that’s not to say this film doesn’t have its flaws. There are a lot of story threads and interesting characters that come along but just don’t go anywhere. The film is ambiguous about the time this is all taking place, which does give it a timeless appeal, but at other times just seems to work as a convenient way to avoid some problematic issues, like why Cecilia can’t simply call someone on a phone for help or even send an email.
Director Michael Mohan took a decent script and elevated it to a fun horror film that deserved more attention than it got. Sure, the film didn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s the kind of fun horror film I hope we keep seeing more of. Not every horror film needs to be “elevated” horror. I’m a simple guy who sometimes just wants a horror film to deliver in the blood and kill department without all the metaphoric imagery. Immaculate delivers in the blood and the absurd, and it’s one I’m sure I’ll enjoy again down the road.
