Saint Maud (2019)

Director: Rose Glass
Stars: Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle, Lily Knight
Runtime: 84 minutes

Synopsis: Follows a pious nurse who becomes dangerously obsessed with saving the soul of her drying patient.

Verdict: I’ve probably played the trailer for Rose Glass’ “Saint Maud” a dozen times on the day of its release. That was about two years ago, and the film was then due to be released a few months later. But unforeseen events that I’m sure you’re all aware of resulted in the closure of cinemas around the world, delaying the release of a number of movies including this one. At the time, I found the situation to be darkly humorous as the scale and timing of the disaster that hit our planet nearly felt like an attempt from God Himself to censor the A24 release. None of that is funny today, but I am thankful that I managed to finally catch what is perhaps one of the best psychological horror films to come out recently.

Carried by an extraordinary performance by Morfydd Clark, the story explores the dangers of finding refuge in faith in times of loneliness and guilt. Our own sanity is tested as we witness events unfold through our protagonist’s eyes, making us question the legitimacy of what is shown and narrated. It’s a tour de force debut for writer/director Rose Glass, whose vision successfully crawls under the skin of the viewer thanks to inspired visual choices and an eerie score supplemented by unnerving sound effects only slightly diluted by the occasional unconvincing CGI work.

With this effort, she joins Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, or Jordan Peele in the closed circle of directors working in the horror field who knocked it out of the park on their debuts. “Saint Maud” is the type of film that only gets better with time and that will stick with you long after the credits start rolling. Fans of the genre, don’t miss it.

FINAL GRADE: 8/10