Direction: Rose Glass
Country: USA
It's a remarkable debut feature for Rose Glass this Saint Maud, a profoundly imaginative and skillfully framed allegory solidly anchored in religious and supernatural themes and bolstered by unblemished performances by Morfydd Clark and Jennifer Ehle. Expect to be dragged into dark and sinister places.
Alone and utterly devout to Roman Catholicism, Maud (Clark) is a hospice young nurse whose new job consists of providing palliative care to a once celebrated dancer/choreographer, Amanda Kohl (Ehle). As she peeks the latter’s erratic behavior, Maud becomes utterly judgmental and controlling, progressively feeding this freaky obsession that she will become the savior of her patient’s soul. However, the relationship between them deteriorates before that happens, and the nurse is fired at a time that we want to know more about her mysterious past. Unemployed and emotionally unstable, she descends into a personal hell of sin, self-penitence and punishment.
Ms. Glass reveals to be a master at her craft, and the tension-rich premise is not wasted for a single minute. During this bizarre journey you’ll find moments of unexpected power that will keep you in a permanent unsettling state.
Saint Maude is a visceral piece of cinema that can be considered too radical by the easily scared, but, on the other hand, brings competence and freshness to the saturated horror genre. It’s an all-front winner that captivates our attention through arresting imagery, psychological distress and demented moods.
