When you think of Sydney Sweeney, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Well, after her stunning looks? Is it The White Lotus? What about Euphoria? How about Madame Web? Up until recently, her track record of starring in past projects has been spotty, for sure, but her biggest success to date has to be Anyone but You.

While I know about these projects, I haven’t actually taken the opportunity to actually sit down and watch any of them. It’s safe to say I’m not usually her target audience. So, when the young actress chose a faith-based horror movie, my ears absolutely perked up.

It’s time for Sweeney to get Immaculate. Finally.

The movie opens as Sister Cecilia (played by Sweeney), who is very young for being a nun, is questioned for entering Italy with a one-way ticket. She has yet to learn the Italian language and her transition is immediately rough, but after her parish closed in Detroit, it’s safe to say that she has transferred to a more scenic, romantic location.

The locals at her convent treat her pretty harshly. There have been more than a few young nuns-to-be who didn’t quite pan out and the expectation is that Cecilia will be yet another victim of the process. After waking up in a sweat from a nightmare on the very first night, she begins questioning the facade of the locale, while staying ever faithful.

Death is a part of everyday life there, and strangely enough, people keep disappearing before her, regardless of their age. Something ominous looms nearby. And then she gets pregnant, even though she’s still a virgin. After serious accusations are thrown about, she’s finally welcomed as a miracle, whose baby is expected to save them all. Has Sister Cecilia finally found her calling and her reason to live?

“I hope you find what you are looking for…”

After puking up a tooth, her pregnancy really gets difficult. Another sister attempts to drown her and after requesting to see a doctor at the local hospital, the denial is rage inducing. Should her superiors be worried about word of their little miracle spreading publicly or are they actually up to something even worse?

I’m really not sure if Immaculate is properly classified as a religious thriller or even a horror movie, even after watching it. A psychological drama might be more appropriate because there really aren’t any jump scares to speak of. There’s a little blood and gore involved, a smudge of body mutilation and definite genre elements, but overall, this feels like a dumbed down PG-13 release. The story is decent, even though its slow burn moves at a miniscule pace. The moody atmosphere is absolutely creepy, especially when dealing with crooked priests.

Could this film be loosely adapted from real-life horrors of the Catholic Church? Possibly, but the most likely scenario points to this movie simply being a generic horror flick.

Adding mad-scientist vibes to a storyline that is eerily similar to The First Omen, I really enjoyed two plot devices that remained frustratingly unresolved at the film’s conclusion. Was it a plot hole that the viewer didn’t actually see Sister Cecilia get impregnated? Maybe not, but if it somehow involved a proposed Ancient Alien theory? That is an inexcusable scenario which would have been absolutely more interesting than anything shown on the screen.

A final dangling story device that was also ignored were the side effects of Cecilia’s pregnancy, which were supposedly fatal. But not to Cecilia. Why not?

Ignoring these storyline complaints, it is safe to say that Sydney Sweeney has successfully transitioned into a new scream queen. If that wasn’t more obvious, watch the final three minutes of this film. Her incredibly long-winded shrieks hint that the actress should have a long career as a final girl in other films. In fact, this scene, alone, showcases the most emotion that she shows during the entire movie.

It is really good to see Sweeney starring in a different type of genre movie, but this is not great film for hardcore horror fans. Writer Andrew Lobel and director Michael Mohan felt like they were working with a relatively new crew, but in actuality, the filmmakers have only worked on a few other released projects. I did learn that Sweeney found and acquired this film’s original script, which was perpetually stuck in production hell. What’s unclear is why it wasn’t improved before the filming began.

Please deliver us from sacrilegious horror flicks. Sydney Sweeney deserves better. I can’t wait to watch her in a better horror movie.

“This is not the work of God.”