Immaculate (2024)
March 22, 2024 2:00 PM - Subscribe
Cecilia, a woman of devout faith, is warmly welcomed to the picture-perfect Italian countryside where she is offered a new role at an illustrious convent. But it becomes clear to Cecilia that her new home harbors dark and horrifying secrets.
(Spoilers obvs)
I'm not sure. Apparently the original ending was that she gave birth and then it cut to her looking after the child in a playground, that would make an antichrist thing more likely.
In a way the grotesque snuffling on the soundtrack softens the ending. If they had had a normal baby crying instead that would have been more horrific, though maybe too much for the audience to take.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:44 AM on March 23 [3 favorites]
I'm not sure. Apparently the original ending was that she gave birth and then it cut to her looking after the child in a playground, that would make an antichrist thing more likely.
In a way the grotesque snuffling on the soundtrack softens the ending. If they had had a normal baby crying instead that would have been more horrific, though maybe too much for the audience to take.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:44 AM on March 23 [3 favorites]
I'm not really a horror guy, but I thought from the bloody escape attempt to the end was pretty good.
All the jump-scares, red herrings, and weirdness leading up to it: not so much. Like, the opening scene which doesn't have any callback at all in the rest of the film, or the red-masked-nuns part of it all.
Saw it opening night as part of a film festival, with a producer on hand for a Q&A after, and there's one big laugh near the end which was apparently an improvisation by Sweeney which turned out to be an inspired break from the intense scenes.
Also, that last scene was one, long, uninterrupted cut, which really gives credit to Sweeny's acting. They apparently only had time and resources for two takes, and the first take is what made it in the film.
Watching it at a film festival reminded me how much better scary films are with an audience audibly reacting to the screen, vs just watching it at home with a cat on my lap.
posted by AzraelBrown at 7:39 AM on March 29 [2 favorites]
All the jump-scares, red herrings, and weirdness leading up to it: not so much. Like, the opening scene which doesn't have any callback at all in the rest of the film, or the red-masked-nuns part of it all.
Saw it opening night as part of a film festival, with a producer on hand for a Q&A after, and there's one big laugh near the end which was apparently an improvisation by Sweeney which turned out to be an inspired break from the intense scenes.
Also, that last scene was one, long, uninterrupted cut, which really gives credit to Sweeny's acting. They apparently only had time and resources for two takes, and the first take is what made it in the film.
Watching it at a film festival reminded me how much better scary films are with an audience audibly reacting to the screen, vs just watching it at home with a cat on my lap.
posted by AzraelBrown at 7:39 AM on March 29 [2 favorites]
We saw this at an old school drive-in and that was a perfect combo. Flew by. Excellent pacing.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:14 AM on March 30
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:14 AM on March 30
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posted by TheophileEscargot at 2:04 PM on March 22