There’s a strange phenomenon in Hollywood known as “twin films.” Essentially, two movies with similar core premises are released close together. There are examples throughout film history, with one of the most recent occurring in the spring of 2024, when “Immaculate” and “The First Omen” were released in theaters just two weeks apart.
The two horror movies share a shocking amount of similarities. Both are set within an Italian Catholic convent, are stuffed with religious themes and imagery, and, most prominently, have narratives that are so alike, it’s a little spooky. Because it had ties to a popular horror franchise, “The First Omen” won the box office battle, but for me, “Immaculate” is the better film.
This overshadowed horror movie has just arrived on Netflix, and if you skipped it on the big screen to watch the latest “Omen” movie instead, now is your chance to correct that mistake. Yes, the competition might not be the fiercest around, but I rank it easily as among Sydney Sweeney’s best movies (second only to last year’s delightful twisting “The Housemaid”). Want more details before adding "Immaculate" to your Netflix watchlist? Here's everything you need to know about this Sydney Sweeney horror.
What is ‘Immaculate’ about?
While you can probably puzzle out “Immaculate’s” twist from the trailer (and the movie’s winking title), I’ll tread lightly here to avoid direct spoilers.
Sydney Sweeney plays Sister Cecilia, an American girl who turned to religion after surviving a near-death experience as a child. Moving to a remote convent in the stunning Italian countryside, she is devout in her faith and is preparing to take her vows to become a full-fledged nun.
Initially warmly welcomed to the convent and settling into her new life, things take a dark turn when Cecilia begins to experience intense nightmares and suspects the religious institution is harboring dark secrets. This suspicion proves to be correct when unspeakable horrors emerge...
‘Immaculate’ is worthy of your Netflix watchlist this week
“Immaculate’s” biggest strength is its constantly spiralling tension. It takes a little while to get going, with a scene-setting first act, and then once the mid-movie twist rears its head, from there, it’s just a straight descent into horrifically entertaining chaos. It keeps pushing forward, building to a particularly shocking ending that (unsurprisingly) has proved divisive.
The movie’s tight 89-minute runtime helps the momentum. Once “Immaculate” gets going, it doesn’t waste time. Instead, it’s a whistle-stop tour of nerve-jangling horror highlights, from effective jump scares to very ominous utterances from supporting characters. The bloody violence mixed with the religious theming will put some viewers off. However, if you can handle this, then “Immaculate” is a very entertaining dark horror movie.
Credit to Sydney Sweeney because this movie rests on her shoulders. The movie doesn’t spend much time fleshing out the wider cast; it’s focused on Cecilia. Her arc is compelling. At first convinced she survived her near-death experience because God has a purpose for her, she becomes dismayed at what the covenant leaders have in store. In the movie’s third act, Sweeney channels Cecilia’s internal rage that has been bubbling across the entire runtime, creating a final cathartic moment that you won’t soon forget.
“Immaculate” is a horror movie that is more spooky than outright terrifying, and its plot does become a little nonsensical (and highly illogical) towards the end. Nevertheless, it’s got some strong central themes that echo topical events at the time of its release, which add an extra layer to unravel. It’s a movie that I’d recommend to any dedicated fan of the horror genre.
Watch “Immaculate” on Netflix now
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