Immaculate (18)
Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Alvaro Morte, Simona TabascoGenre: Horror
Author(s): Andrew Lobel
Director: Michael Mohan
Release Date: 22/03/2024
Running Time: 89mins
Country: US
Year: 2024
Cecilia has always sought refuge in her faith and her devotion to her Lord shepherds her to a position at a venerated convent nestled deep within the Italian countryside. From the outside, Cecilia's new home appears idyllic - a rural retreat to nourish her soul and focus on her vows. However, horrifying secrets lurk beneath the surface of the religious order and Cecilia's steadfast belief in scripture and reason are severely challenged in a supposed house of God.
LondonNet Film Review
Immaculate (18) Film Review from LondonNet
>According to the good book – my dictionary – “immaculate” is an adjective that can be used to mean perfectly neat and tidy or spotlessly clean. hile the unwanted pregnancy in director Michael Mohan’s psychological horror could indeed be deemed immaculate by conception, there is nothing perfectly neat or tidy about Andrew Lobel’s script set in a remote Italian convent nestled on top of ancient catacombs, which we are informed from the outset are “off limits”. You don’t need divine intervention to scent skulduggery in this isolated religious order and when the beleaguered heroine stumbles upon the shocking truth, her faith is tested as robustly as our credulity..
“If this is not the will of God, why does He not stop us?” coldly argues a perpetrator. Explosions of gratuitous, stomach-churning gore, which don’t serve an increasingly demented plot, punctuate a young nun’s descent into paranoia and delusion with nightmarish echoes of Rosemary’s Baby and Suspiria. Rising star Sydney Sweeney from Anyone But You and Madame Web wears two habits as producer and lead star, fully embracing the escalating madness of her character’s bewildering predicament. Her soul-piercing screams of anguish cut through the overblown melodrama, which relies heavily on jump scares rather than creeping dread to keep audiences teetering on the edge of their seats.
Following a near-death experience in childhood on a frozen lake, Cecilia (Sweeney) fixates on the idea that God saved her for a higher purpose and she studiously dedicates herself to becoming a nun. Scientist-turned-priest Father Sal Tedeschi (Alvaro Morte) kindly extends an invitation to Cecilia to take her vows of poverty, chastity and obedience at a picturesque 17th-century Italian convent. Without any emotional anchors to keep her in Detroit, Michigan, the novitiate relocates to a European country where she barely speaks the language to serve the Lord under Cardinal Franco Merola (Giorgio Colangeli) and an imposing Mother Superior (Dora Romano).
Cecilia is warmly welcomed by Father Tedeschi but fellow nun Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcaroli) cryptically urges caution: “He has a talent for sniffling out broken birds.” Shortly after her arrival, Cecilia falls ill and a visit from Doctor Gallo (Giampiero Judica) confirms she is with child. However, Cecilia is a virgin. Catapulted to overnight stardom by virtue of her miraculous conception, Cecilia senses something unholy festers inside the convent’s walls.
Structured as trimesters of Cecilia’s unwanted pregnancy, Immaculate relies on Sweeney’s full-blooded central performance to successfully carry a loopy premise to full term. A ruthlessly efficient prologue sets the macabre tone and demonstrates director Mohan’s enthusiasm for icky make-up effects to secure an 18 certificate in the UK. Emotion is sacrificed at the altar of splatter as Cecilia’s fight for survival reaches an overwrought crescendo. Forgive the filmmakers – their sins are disappointingly few.
– Kim Hu
Popular on LondonNet
London Cinemas Showing Immaculate
From: Friday 19th April
To: Thursday 25th April
Wed 15:20 20:10
Wed 16:40; Thu 17:30
Fri 16:15; Sat 12:40
Wed 22:15
Tue 22:45; Wed 22:40
Tue/Thu 22:45; Wed 22:30
Fri 23:55; Sat 23:00; Mon 15:45
Tue/Thu 21:40
Tue/Wed 22:45; Thu 22:40
Tue/Wed 22:45
Tue 15:45; Wed 15:30; Thu 15:55
From: Friday 26th April
To: Thursday 2nd May
Sat/Sun 21:20; Tue 18:50
Tue 21:10
Sat 22:15; Sun 22:10; Tue 21:15; Wed 15:30
Fri 23:50; Sat 23:45; Sun 22:45; Tue 15:30
Sun 19:15
Fri 23:20; Sat 23:00; Tue 15:30
Fri/Sat 00:00
Fri 00:00; Sat 23:15; Mon 22:10; Tue 13:00 17:20 22:10
Fri/Sat 00:00; Sun 21:20 23:30; Mon 22:10; Tue 12:05 15:30 22:10; Wed 15:55
UK and Irish Cinemas Showing Immaculate
From: Friday 19th April
To: Thursday 25th April
Tue-Thu 13:00
Thu 18:20
Tue/Wed 20:30
Thu 20:50
Tue/Thu 16:00; Wed 20:30
Odeon Luxe Birmingham Broadway Plaza
Mon-Thu 14:10 (Thu) 21:30
Sun 20:50
Thu 19:50
Odeon Manchester Great Northern
Tue-Thu 21:00
Thu 20:35
Wed 22:05
Showcase Cinema De Lux Bluewater
Tue 22:20; Wed/Thu 22:15
Tue/Wed 22:10; Thu 19:25 21:40 22:10
Showcase Cinema De Lux Leicester
Tue-Thu 22:30
Showcase Cinema De Lux Nottingham
Tue 22:20; Wed/Thu 21:30
Showcase Cinema De Lux Teesside
Tue-Thu 22:20
Wed 15:00
Sat 21:30
Thu 15:45
Thu 18:25
Sat 22:35
Vue Basingstoke Festival Place
Thu 13:00
Tue 15:30; Wed 13:00
Fri 21:50; Sun 21:05; Tue 13:00
Sat 09:45
Tue-Thu 13:00 (Thu) 22:45
Tue 16:35
Tue 15:20 22:40; Wed 21:40; Thu 22:25
Tue 21:45
Tue 21:25; Wed 21:35; Thu 21:40
Tue 22:30
Tue 15:20; Wed 22:05
Tue 21:00; Wed/Thu 21:15
Tue-Thu 22:45
Tue 15:30 21:05; Wed 21:15
Fri/Sun 21:00
Tue/Wed 21:10
Tue 22:15; Wed 21:45; Thu 22:05
Tue 21:40
Tue/Wed 21:10; Thu 21:05
Tue 22:35; Wed 13:00
Wed 21:00; Thu 21:25
Tue 21:45; Wed 21:30; Thu 21:35
Tue/Thu 22:45; Wed 22:40
Sat 09:10; Sun 21:45
Tue 21:30
Wed 16:15; Thu 13:40
Fri 13:00; Sat 22:30; Tue 12:55; Wed 22:05; Thu 22:00
Tue 15:55; Wed 13:15; Thu 21:05
Tue 21:45; Wed 17:00 21:40; Thu 21:35
Tue 22:10
Thu 21:45
Tue 21:30; Wed 21:35; Thu 21:15
Tue 21:45
Tue 15:15 22:40; Wed 15:40; Thu 13:50
Tue/Thu 21:20; Wed 21:10
Tue 22:00; Wed 21:40; Thu 21:35
Tue 21:15
Tue 21:55; Wed 21:40
Tue 15:55; Wed 21:30
Fri 13:00 15:10; Sat 21:35; Sun 18:20
Tue 15:50; Wed 15:30; Thu 22:15
Tue 22:25; Wed 16:00; Thu 13:00
Tue 16:05 18:10; Wed 21:15; Thu 21:50
Tue 21:30; Wed 21:00
Tue 15:50 22:45; Wed 13:00 15:35 17:20 22:50; Thu 13:05 17:00 22:25
Vue Manchester Quayside (Media City UK)
Fri/Sat 23:10; Sun 20:10 22:40
Tue 15:30; Wed 20:55; Thu 21:00
Tue 22:15
Wed 22:05; Thu 15:20
Wed 21:40
Fri 21:50; Sat 12:50; Sun 21:15; Mon 15:30
Thu 21:30
Tue 22:35
Tue/Wed 15:30 22:35; Thu 22:30
Wed 14:00 16:10 18:15
Fri 21:30; Sat 16:50; Sun 18:00
Tue 15:35 21:40; Wed 13:10 22:00
Tue 15:15 21:10; Wed 18:15 21:15; Thu 20:55
Tue/Thu 21:40; Wed 14:45 21:45
Wed 21:45
Tue 22:45; Wed 15:30 22:35
Tue 21:40
Tue 21:20; Wed 14:50
Tue 22:15; Wed 22:10
Sat 23:00; Sun 21:55; Mon 15:50; Tue 22:00; Wed 21:50
Fri 21:20; Sat 22:40
Tue 15:20 22:35; Wed 21:55; Thu 22:40
Wed 21:40
Tue 21:55; Wed/Thu 22:05
From: Friday 26th April
To: Thursday 2nd May
Fri 20:40
Odeon Luxe Birmingham Broadway Plaza
Sat 21:20; Sun 21:00; Tue 18:50
Fri-Sun 21:30
Sun 09:50
Vue Basingstoke Festival Place
Fri 15:25; Sat 17:30
Fri 23:25
Sun 20:50
Fri 15:30 18:15 00:10; Sat 17:45 19:35 21:40; Sun 17:05 19:20 22:35; Mon 13:00 15:35 19:25 21:55; Tue 18:40 21:55; Wed 13:10 15:35 17:50 20:00 22:10; Thu 20:40 23:55
Sat 23:25
Fri 23:30; Sat 23:45; Sun 20:15 22:30; Mon 17:55; Tue 20:20; Wed 21:40
Sat 22:50; Tue 13:00
Fri/Sun 22:35; Sat 23:00
Fri 23:20; Sat 22:45
Fri 23:10; Sat 23:30; Sun 22:55
Sun 21:30
Fri 23:35; Sat 23:25; Mon 13:00; Tue 22:10; Wed 15:15
Fri 15:30; Sun 21:10; Wed 17:50
Sun 20:55
Fri 23:50; Sat 23:45
Fri 22:30; Sat 22:25; Sun 21:15
Fri 20:50; Sun 17:20
Fri 23:45; Sat 23:10
Fri 23:00; Sat 22:15; Sun 21:20; Tue 20:55; Wed 21:00
Mon 21:05
Fri 23:15; Sat 22:50; Sun 23:20; Mon-Wed 22:10
Sat 23:15
Sat 23:20; Mon 14:00; Wed 22:10
Fri 23:05; Sat 22:10; Mon 21:55; Tue 13:00; Wed 15:45
Wed 15:25
Fri 18:25; Sun 22:10; Tue 15:30; Wed 13:00
Fri 23:15; Sat 23:10; Sun 22:15; Wed 21:30
Fri 23:10; Sat 23:15; Sun 22:45; Mon 12:45 22:00; Tue/Wed 12:45 (Tue) 21:45
Fri 23:00; Sat 23:25
Fri 23:00; Tue 15:15; Wed 22:10
Fri 22:10; Sun 21:00; Mon 21:15; Tue 15:15
Fri 22:05; Sat 09:45; Sun 21:00
Fri 23:00; Sat 23:20
Fri 23:15; Wed 21:55
Sat 22:10; Sun 19:20; Mon 17:05; Tue 14:15; Wed 13:00
Sat 19:10 21:30; Sun 19:15; Tue 14:35
Fri 22:10
Fri 21:30 23:45; Sat 09:10 17:45 22:10; Sun 21:15 22:40; Mon 15:35 21:30; Tue 13:00 15:40; Wed 13:00 16:25 22:00
Vue Manchester Quayside (Media City UK)
Fri 23:30; Sat 23:45; Sun 22:45; Tue/Wed 22:00
Fri 13:45; Sat/Sun 18:50 (Sun) 21:05; Mon 13:00
Fri/Sat 16:50 (Fri) 23:30; Sun 21:50; Tue 22:10; Wed 18:30
Sat 23:00; Mon 17:50; Tue 21:45
Fri 23:00; Sat 23:30
Fri 23:45; Sat 17:30
Fri 22:45; Sat 22:30; Sun/Thu 22:00; Mon/Tue 21:30
Fri 23:20; Sat 17:50 23:00; Wed 13:00
Sat 23:20
Fri 23:10; Sat 16:50; Sun 19:00
Sat 22:10
Fri 23:55; Sat 23:20; Sun 22:55; Tue 14:25
Fri 21:30; Sat 21:00; Sun 20:55; Tue 15:15
Wed 15:00
Sat 23:30
Fri 23:15; Sun 22:00
Fri 22:55; Sun 22:10; Tue 17:35
Fri 22:20; Sun 21:15; Tue 18:00
Fri 23:10; Sun 22:10
Fri 22:15; Tue 15:30
Sun 21:40; Mon 22:15; Wed 17:55
Sat 22:10; Mon 18:00
Fri 23:10; Sat 22:10; Sun 22:15; Mon 21:20; Wed 13:50
