Immaculate is Immaculate
Viva Reimers ‘24 / Emertainment Monthly Marketing Merchandise & Events Coordinator
The 1 minute and 57 second trailer for Immaculate has proven itself to be such. Starring Sydney Sweeney, Benedetta Procaroli, and Simona Tabasco, NEON’s new psychological horror movie is aimed to release March 22, 2024.
Sydney Sweeney, known for her roles in Anyone But You, Euphoria, and The White Lotus, takes on the role of Cecilia, an American nun with a deep commitment to her faith. She begins a new chapter in a secluded convent nestled in the beautiful Italian countryside. However, her initially warm reception turns into a chilling nightmare, when she learns that her newfound sanctuary conceals a dark secret and unimaginable horrors.
The horror genre has no lack of evil nuns being the face of their films. But Immaculate takes a unique twist. Cecilia finds out she is pregnant which leads to the assumption that she is the second coming of the Virgin Mary. Shortly after this is revealed in the trailer, Cecilia is met with hateful stares from her peers, possibly out of jealousy that she is the “chosen one” to carry God’s child.
The trailer features numerous intense scenes, including vivid depictions of blood, a nun leaping off the convent roof, a woman consuming what appears to be bloody human remains, Cecilia receiving a cross-shaped brand on the heel of her foot, an unsettling moment of Cecilia being seized through a confession booth wall, and the presence of red-faced nuns.
“How can we trust what’s inside you?”
says Benedetta Procaroli’s character. Maybe this baby Cecilia was blessed with is anything but holy. There is no doubt there is something evil and twisted surrounding the whole film, but could it be the baby inside of Cecilia?
It is interesting to note most of the film is shot in very dim lighting. During the trailer, most scenes have warm candle lighting illuminating the space. However, there are a handful of scenes in the trailer with cool toned lighting.
With cinematography, warm tones are used to depict a cozy atmosphere and intimate moments, as well as make the location feel more approachable or friendly,while cool tones are used for more of an opposite effect. When the trailer starts it is very dark with just a bit of warm lighting to illuminate Cecilia’s face in a confession booth with a priest. This cozy atmosphere is turned upside down as Cecilia is attacked, but the faux sense of comfort is what makes jumpscares like that so much better when watching films.
Ultimately, the cinematographers used warm and cool tone lighting in this film to shape the audience’s emotional experience.
In an era where horror movies can sometimes rely on predictable tropes, Immaculate stands out because of its nuanced storytelling and build up of genuine suspense. Where there should be no evil, Immaculate invites viewers to confront the darkest corners of what evil really is in this gripping psychological horror.