Saint Maud

Saint Maud follows the deeply religious central character (Morfydd Clark’s Maud) as she begins caring for Jennifer Ehle’s dying Amanda, with Maud’s dwindling grasp on reality paving the way for a progressively sinister second half. Filmmaker Rose Glass has infused Saint Maud with as deliberate a feel as one could possibly envision, as the movie, which is instantly quite atmospheric, admittedly, unfolds at a decidedly methodical pace that does require a fair deal of patience from the viewer (ie this is the slowest of burns, ultimately). The strong performances, coupled with a smattering of attention-grabbing sequences, keep things interesting even through the picture’s more overtly static stretches, although it’s worth noting that such concerns are rendered moot by the increasingly enthralling third act – as Glass delivers an engrossing and palpably discomfiting climax that’s topped off with a note-perfect final shot. The end result is a solid debut for an exceedingly promising new filmmaker, and there’s little doubt Saint Maud demands the big-screen treatment if only for the incredible sound design (that shoe scene is certainly one for the ages).

*** out of ****

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