 We feel her isolation and witness her devotion. In an emotional sense, this is a fast-paced film, though it is a slow burn film visually. The delicately nuanced atmosphere does not just invite you into her claustrophobic, pious and simplistic life, but swallows you whole. SAINT MAUD Film 2019 Written and directed by Rose Glass Starring Morfydd Clark and Jennifer Ehle Running time 84 minutes A24 Films Folk horror, Psychological Horror Welcome to the brand news series of articles from Jeremy Light, A24 x the Pain, where jeremy takes a deep dive into the films from the horror movie studio A24. Today Jeremy takes a look at Saint Maude. Hyper-empathic Maud, a devout Roman Catholic home hospice nurse, cares for her worldly atheist patient… a little too much. Saint Maud is categorically and definitively a folk horror film. I hope (dare I say pray?) that viewers don’t see the keywords “Catholic, saint and horror” and assume it’s yet another uninspired exorcism or spooky demonic possession “entertainment movie”. They would be grossly underestimating Rose Glass’ magnificent debut film. The film explores faith, hyper-religiosity, perceived moral duty and the connective tissue between complex mental illness and supernatural religious experiences. Surely the question “Am I hearing God's voice or hallucinating?” has been asked by countless faithful believers. Maud is in almost every frame of the film. This is a brilliant method of immersive character introduction. We feel her isolation and witness her devotion. In an emotional sense, this is a fast-paced film, though it is a slow burn film visually. The delicately nuanced atmosphere does not just invite you into her claustrophobic, pious and simplistic life, but swallows you whole. Maud’s patient, Amanda, is a retired dancer from the United States. Though dying of cancer, she unrepentantly smokes cigarettes indoors. Against the backdrop of her luxurious, tastefully decorated house, she and Maud discuss the life cycle and her fear of death. Maud reassures Amanda that through a belief in God that she can be saved and to be comforted and free of that fear. Amanda, a steadfast atheist responds with laughter and says that “there is no God”. Woven between these scenes of Maud and Amanda’s interactions are flashbacks to Maud’s life before she became so ardent about her faith. It’s revealed that during a traumatizing emergency room incident, she gave chest compressions to a male patient with stitches along his chest and pushed right through them, killing him instantly. This horrific peripeteia could alter the trajectory of anyone’s life, especially Maud’s.  Maud is regularly belittled by Amanda and her friends. Amanda is a lesbian woman and doesn’t hold that back around Maud. In fact, Maud enjoys an extended voyeuristic peep and seemingly enjoys watching the physical intimacy. She may be reminiscing or yearning for that sensuality herself. During Amanda’s birthday party, in which Maud is sort of forced to cater, she is belittled and insulted by an intoxicated party-goer holding a folded linen across Maud’s forehead and amongst others, Amanda says things such as “look at our little nun”, etc. Maud responds by slapping the taste out of Amanda’s mouth, so to speak. Though she was provoked to do so, she is removed from the party immediately. Now we get to see the beginning of Maud’s return to her lifestyle before she was a devout Catholic caregiver. Including but not limited to: sex and public sexual acts with strangers, hard drug use, blackout drinking and religious self-torture, there are a few of her favorite things. Now that I have you hooked, or rather Maud’s hooks in you, I’d rather not spoil the rest of the film. I’d be doing a disservice to the readers, the viewers and all of the people that came together to make this magnificent film. Jeremy Light Jeremy Light's work has been featured in Apocrypha & Abstractions, Flash Fiction Magazine, Hindered Souls Horror Anthology and Pale Ghosts Magazine. Jeremy has worked as an editor at a magazine, but became a freelancer by editing a horror manuscript for a client in 2022. Jeremy is studying at Tisch School of Arts NYU and writing film reviews and analysis during bouts of insomnia. the heart and soul of horror movie review websites |
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