Saint Maud

Saint Maud
Starring Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle, Lily Knight, Lily Frazer
Directed by Rose Glass

There is an inherent danger with being zealous for something, in the fact that it's all you believe is true, and you want everyone else to believe what you believe is true as well. Mostly this falls under the religious aspect, with the concept of "saving" another soul through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior that often serves as a recent convert's only goal in life, no matter what other people think. For many, all they think about is how to save others from the damnation of hell, and there's nothing else that occupies their time, and this mostly comes from people who are newly converted, as they understand in their mind who they once were and who they are now are two totally different people - and in their mind for the better - so they set out to have others feel that same experience. While most are harmless and act out of true kindness and zeal, others are all out insane and their zealous nature becomes all-encompassing, until the only thing left in their life is their "divine calling" and lose sense of all reality. "Saint Maud" is one such story.

Maud (Morfydd Clark) is a new convert to Roman Catholicism after working as a nurse resulted in the death of a patient. Now working as a home carer, she's assigned to tend to former famous dancer/choreographer Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), who's dying with stage four lymphoma, who has decided to spend the rest of her days in her palatial estate. On their first meeting, Amanda confides in Maud that she's worried about death, and Maud sees this as a call from God to save her soul before she passes into the hereafter, telling her that God sometimes talks to her, while other times it's a feeling that envelops her - something Amanda seemingly takes to heart.

As the days go by, Amanda is visited by Carol (Lily Frazer), a friend that Amanda pays for sex, which worries Maud because this could prevent Amanda from the salvation that she needs, so she tries to convince Carol to stop seeing her, resulting in a confrontation at Amanda's birthday party. Feeling that God has called her to save Amanda, Maud struggles with her perceived failure and thinks that God isn't really there, until she receives a new call from God to continue her saintly duty, re-invigorating Maud's zeal to get Amanda saved - no matter what.

First time writer/director Rose Glass tackles "Saint Maud" with the gusto of a trained professional, expertly and intellectually weaving a story that tackles not just religious zeal, but possible mental illness as well, as we see the entire film through the eyes of Maud (who took the name after being known as Katie for unknown reasons), who serves as the perfect unreliable narrator. You're not entirely sure what's actually happening, and what's going on in her mind - but you know the ultimate outcome, which isn't as saintly as Maud would think it to be. Add in the unnerving score by newcomer Adam Bzowski and sound design by Paul Davies - as well as the visually appealing ascetics of Amanda's Victorian-style home - and you've got the makings for a religious horror story that's unforgettable in its simplicity.

Morfydd Clark plays Maud as the ultimate loner, a woman who has no friends, but doesn't need any - all she needs is God, until she feels that God has forsaken her. When she enters the "real world" and tries to interact with people, she comes off as aloof and peculiar, terrible at social interactions and social cues that most other people would understand, and something that even house-bound Amanda notices - "you must be the loneliest girl I've ever seen" she whispers to Maud, whose only true friend in the entire film is God, or at least her perception of God. Clark brilliantly owns the screen from start to finish, as the entire film is told through her eyes, and there's not a frame she's not in, and if it was done by a lesser actress, the entire film would've fallen flat. Yet Clark makes you feel for Maud, but also feel enraged by her actions and perceived self-piety as she sets out to save Amanda's soul.

Equally, Jennifer Ehle shines as Maud's antagonist, Amanda. She's never given a religion, but it's somewhat obvious Amanda is an Atheist, as she mocks Maud's devout belief but also seems to accept it, and you never know what's going through Amanda's mind. Ehle balances the fears of a woman on the verge of death with reminiscing of her wilder days, and this tension between Ehle and Clark is effervescent in the most uncomfortable way.

There's no doubt that Maud is insane, and you never know what she will do next, which more than amps up the tension in the short 94-minute runtime while serving as a slow-burn psychological thriller mixed with religious horror, in a way that never makes the film feel like it overstayed its welcome. Most religious films rely heavily on the epic exorcism scene or other demonic attack with swelling musical cues and non-stop barrage of religious symbolism and violence, but here the film knows when to cut and run, which adds to the tension, unease, and discomfort you're supposed to feel. Rose Glass tells more story in a literal second than some films do in their entirety, and it was one of those rare films where, at the end, the audience sat in stunned silence - not because the film was terrible, but because it was so engrossing and subtly, deftly, expertly drives the knife in your back and twists it without you knowing until the credits start to roll.

"Saint Maud" is a small, independent film that focuses on the zealousness of religion and how it can be abused in the hands of a mentally unstable person, delivered with perfection by Morfydd Clark that'll leave you in stunned silence at the end.

The Score: A+