Unstoppable Sydney Sweeney’s Wild ‘Immaculate’ Performance Will Blow Your Mind!

Bloody and atmospheric, Michael Mohan’s “Immaculate” challenges the idea of sinless conception

With blood and candlelight setting the scene, Michael Mohan’s “Immaculate” challenges the idea that conception can ever be free from sin. The film features Sydney Sweeney, who also had a hand in its production. This audacious, eerie, and beautifully crafted horror movie initially seems to be a play on the giallo nunsploitation genre, but Andrew Lobel’s script leans more towards “Rosemary’s Baby” than the likes of “The Devils.”

While Mohan aims for “Immaculate” to fit the exploitation film category, he does so by enriching Lobel’s script with depth, ambiance and gore. He takes the genre seriously while injecting a sense of ironic humor. While his direction leans towards contemporary horror, his deep understanding of film and references enable “Immaculate” to feel like a forgotten horror gem rediscovered from a long-lost VHS collection.

Sweeney plays the role of Sister Cecilia, a naive and obedient follower from Detroit who travels to Italy on the orders of Father Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) to commit to her vows at an isolated convent. Here, she is to take care of elderly nuns. Unexpectedly, she begins to show signs of pregnancy with her womb pulsating under a sonogram machine. Her sudden conception is perceived as a divine miracle, and she is left with no choice but to carry on with the pregnancy, amidst envious novices, senile nuns, dominant male figures and a clandestine sect of sisters wearing red cloaks over their faces.

It’s a compelling experience to watch Sweeney’s portrayal of Sister Cecilia’s transformation from a submissive innocent to a surprising and untamed character. Her religious discipline gradually withers away with each disgrace she faces. As the quick-paced, 89-minute film moves towards a wildly untamed climax, her performance becomes increasingly believable, especially in the film’s shocking final scenes where she personifies an unfiltered, primal honesty.

While Sweeney brings her character to life, Mohan skillfully brings out the best of Lobel’s script through his expert direction. He saturates every scene with color, light and shadow, directing Elisha Christian’s camera to weave around characters, into coffins and down dim corridors. The film does rely heavily on jump scares, which are sporadically effective as audiences are conditioned to anticipate them (and quickly lose interest if they don’t deliver). Despite this, the film ventures into more successfully suspense-filled areas, with Mohan cleverly using light and darkness to create intrigue.

The film is enjoyably messy and macabre, without being overly horrifying. If there is a weak point, it would be the screenplay as it dabbles with profound societal and sexual topics, but only skims the surface and leaves some loose ends. While it’s refreshing when a writer doesn’t overdo explanations, there are some plot points that could have been tightened for a more satisfying story.

However, even if some of the mysterious elements are there simply to create ambiance, it’s worth it. If certain facets of the convent’s culture are left unexplored, it’s because Sister Cecilia neither has the time nor the language proficiency to decipher them, and Mohan ensures we remain locked into her perspective and unique outsider experience. The peculiar cult is as enigmatic to us as it is to her — as it should be in any successful folk horror film.

All the film’s references, ranging from Hammer horror, “Frankenstein,” “The Omen,” “The Wicker Man” to a touch of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” ultimately come together during the stunning climax. This finale turns the narrative of “Rosemary’s Baby” on its head, giving “Immaculate” a decidedly modern take on conception. At this point, any lingering doubts are swept away, with the only fitting response being: Well Done.

Review by Katie Walsh, a film critic for the Tribune News Service.