Immaculate

Now that the cinematic scourge known as Immaculate has been unleashed upon the world, it’s officially time to put nun horror on the back burner for a few years.

Not remotely scary, screenwriter Andrew Lobel’s story of Sister Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney) joining an Italian convent that cares for elderly Sisters in their final days and falling prey to a nefarious plot that results in the virgin’s pregnancy is competently made, yet director Michael Mohan (The Voyeurs) can’t manage a simple jump scare.

In turn, this cliché-ridden dud becomes overly reliant on Sweeney’s skills as a dramatic performer, which aren’t up to the task of playing a besieged innocent trying to escape the bonds of a religious institution with a serious Revelation complex.

Other than some decent cinematography, there’s little to recommend here, and paired with fellow new theatrical release Late Night with the Devil, it suggests that the bar for modern horror has reached a new low.

Grade: D. Rated R. Starts March 22 at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: Neon)