Writer(s): Glass
Starring: Morfydd Clark, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Jennifer Ehle and Marcus Hutton
Maud is a newly-devout Christian nurse who gets a job caring after Amanda, a retired dancer who wants to spend her final days living life to the fullest that she can. The two strike up an almost immediate friendship, but soon Maud’s religious lifestyle starts to interfere with their once-strong bond.
Mainly to blame for that: Carol, a prostitute whom Amanda pays to keep her company. Carol is loose, and fun, two characteristics that scare away religious extremists. With her, Amanda feels like she can truly be herself and let down her guard. Just the idea of this bothers Maud, who gets it in her head that her current mission from God is to “save” Amanda before she passes.
Her hatred for Carol reaches a fever pitch when she catches her talking to a friend on the phone. Her tone insinuates that she doesn’t really care for Amanda, and that she’s just doing it for the money, which shouldn’t really come as a surprise, since that’s the entire idea behind that line of work. But Maud doesn’t take kindly to the idea of someone “using” Amanda, and she confronts Carol, telling her to stay away.
This upsets Amanda, who finds out the reasoning behind it, but who refuses to buckle to Maud’s controlling behavior. She throws a birthday bash, inviting all of her friends, and Maud is disgusted to find that Carol is one of them. Maud confronts Amanda, but is taunted by the partygoers, who aren’t impressed with Maud’s devotion to a higher power that most of them don’t believe in. Unsurprisingly, a short while later, Maud is fired.
We also learn that Maud has a secret history, through her interactions with an old friend, Joy, who calls her “Katie”. The two exchange pleasantries (well, the “pleasantries” are mostly one-sided), and Joy is somewhat shocked to learn that Maud is still working as a nurse, following a terrible accident that resulted in the death of a former patient. “Katie” was also promiscuous party girl, who would go out drinking and frequently engage in casual hookups. Presumably, it was a combination of these two things that lead her down the path of righteousness.
It’s the type of film one would expect from studio A24, which rose to prominence in horror circles following the release of the divisive folk horror tale The Witch. That attention was only magnified when they brought Hereditary to the masses, an equally alienating tale that probably shouldn’t have played in wide release. Love them or hate them (and I’m actually somewhere in the middle), you have to give them credit for their dedication to producing and distributing challenging, thought-provoking stories that exist well outside the mainstream.
Saint Maud follows their horror formula down to a “T”, by focusing on a consistent atmosphere of unpredictable dread, rather than gore or jump scares (although there is one fantastic jump scare late in the movie that caught us both off guard). Also true to their formula: It’s not a film for everyone, especially those who prefer action over slow burn stories. Watching Maud’s slow descent into madness leads to a crescendo of expected violence, but the “fun” - if that’s the right word - is how it gets there.
One of A24’s strengths is in the casting, and once again they knock it out of the park. Morfydd Clark’s performance, as the titular character, is powerful stuff, and a direct reason the material works as well as it does. She is a woman who truly believes she is doing the Lord’s work, and will do anything she can to succeed in her “mission”, a chilling notion that’s made all the more chilling when you realize there are actually people like this in the world.
When Saint Maud is effective, it’s effective. When it’s not, it’s actually kind of - dare I say it? - boring. There are a few transitional stretches that just aren’t really all that interesting, mainly focusing on Maud as she tries to find meaning in her life following her unexpected termination. I guess it’s all a part of the “slow burn” atmosphere, but it loses its footing, and spends a good amount of time trying to get back on level ground.
To the surprise of no one, this one was a critical darling, packing in just enough philosophical scenes to appeal to the critics who feel like they have to praise anything that feels higher-brow than a slasher (or that is released by A24). It’s yet another divisive entry in the studio’s canon, and yet another one that didn’t quite hit as hard as it wants to. There are powerful scenes, sure, but as a whole, it feels just like good ol’ Maud herself: A well-intentioned mess struggling to find meaning in life.
That being said, the final shot packs one hell of a gut punch. If only the rest would have followed suit.
RATING: 5.5/10
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