Michael Mohan’s Immaculate had its premiere at SXSW, and the first reactions have been pretty damn positive.
Star Sydney Sweeney is getting the lion’s share of the praise for her performance, but there’s been plenty of adulation for the cinematography that evokes genre greats like Bava and Argento. The bag is a little more mixed for the writing and pacing.
In Immaculate, Cecilia (Sweeney), a woman of devout faith, is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Her warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside is soon interrupted as it becomes clearer to Cecilia that her new home harbors some dark and horrifying secrets.
Below are a selection of critic’s reactions to Immaculate to give you a taste of what’s being said about the religious horror movie.
Immaculate Reactions
Fangoria’s Creative Director Jason Kauzlarich was very keen on what he saw.
ButWhyTho? Critic Kate Sánchez wasn’t a fan of the film’s pacing, but had high praise for Sweeney and the film’s finale.
Film Historian, Screenwriter, and Director Brad Henderson claims Immaculate will be high on his end-of-year list, citing the film’s Giallo influences are a major highlight.
Collider’s Perri Nemiroff was a big fan of Immaculate, writing that Sydney Sweeney put in a ”powerhouse lead performance”.
Bloody Disgusting, Fangoria, and Dread Central writer Paul Lê calls attention to Sweeney’s performance.
It wasn’t all adulation, though. IGN and Daily Dead writer Matt Donato appreciated the cinematography and Sweeney’s performance, but found its storytelling lacking.
Immaculate is in theaters from March 22, 2024.
