“Consecration”
Movie
Review
Consecration,
a 2023 supernatural thriller movie, was directed by Christopher Smith. The
movie, which starred Jena Malone, Danny Huston, and Janet Suzman, was
co-written by Smith and Laurie Cook. In the movie's plot, an American woman
visits a monastery on the Island of Skye to learn the truth about the death of
her priest brother but learns that he was also a suspect in a murder case.
The
story by Smith and Laurie Cook weaves a mystery with paranormal and
psychological drama. Their narrative makes an audacious attempt to confront the
darkness that permeates both the Church and its people. Unforgiving nuns and
dubious priests aren't just a staple of the horror genre, but the authors
clearly draw on the satanic mythos of the Church that has long existed in both fiction
and real life. The plot ultimately revolves around one woman's quest for the
truth. Consecration is a fairly rewarding journey despite how bloodied and
traumatized Jena Malone's character becomes because Smith and Cook's writing
recognizes Grace as the anchor.
The
movie centers on Grace, a doctor of optometry who identifies as an atheist and
is portrayed by Jena Malone. She loves reasoning above science, but her brother
picked religion over those two things to become a priest in a Scottish convent.
Grace feels driven to look into her brother's apparent suicide because of her
skepticism and disturbing visions, but the nuns' chilly and cult-like demeanor
prevents her from doing so. As coping strategies, evasiveness and distrust are
employed, Grace will find that something terribly terrible is at work.
In
a performance that asks her to be a traditional woman caught in a perverse
game, a skeptic, a detective, and a vulnerable sister, Malone is fearless and
effective as the lead. Malone delivers a strong and fascinating performance
that holds audiences' attention for the duration of the movie's nearly two-hour
runtime, despite his poor accent.
The
technical execution of Consecration is poor. There are a few effective jump
scares, but filmmaker Smith can't completely portray the story's fear beyond
the bleak and eerie photography of Rob Hart and Shaun Mone. For a story this
large, the techniques employed are a little too basic. A few of Smith's camera
techniques effectively convey the thought and worry behind Grace's journey.
There is some evidence that Smith is making references to vintage horror films,
but that rarely improves the film and is merely a fascinating fact.
Consecration
isn't a complete flop, but the lackluster scares make the experience less
enjoyable. The entire movie suddenly loses momentum. Consecration struggles to
establish its footing despite a scenario that merges otherworldly terror and
the Church's actual wicked nature. Up until it crumbles under the weight of
expectations, the film may get by with an ominous atmosphere and a fantastic
lead performance. Consecration is hardly a waste if viewers are interested in
fresh horror, but it doesn't place particularly high in the hierarchy of
church-based horrors.
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