Saint Maud | Film Review

 

I had heard a lot of great things about this film before seeing it, so I went in with really high expectations. It's currently free (in the UK) with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Maud (Morfydd Clark) is a nurse who becomes a carer for retired dancer Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), who is dying from cancer. When Maud meets Amanda, she quickly becomes obsessed with saving the woman's soul from eternal damnation.

I didn't get this film at all. There were some things that I liked about it, but overall it wasn't for me.

A lot of the film, particularly in the beginning, is completely created by the atmosphere. When there is little speech, and not a lot actually happens, we understand exactly what the tone is because of the atmosphere. For example, if the film took place exclusively in daylight, with the exact same plot, everything would have felt different.

It is a slow film, and it took me a while to get into it, because it takes a while for anything to happen. 

Maud is an interesting character, and the way that her protection of Amanda becomes obsession grows at a really fascinating rate. 

The dynamic, and subsequent relationship between a patient and their carer would be really interesting to explore regardless of the storyline. The dynamic between Maud and Amanda, and the way that this changes when people are around, is probably the most interesting thing about the film.

Having said that, I don't find this story particularly interesting, I didn't warm to the characters, and I didn't care how it would end.

I would have liked more time to be spent on the ending, and the lead-up to that.

Overall, Saint Maud falls into a particular horror genre that is mostly being made popular by the A24 studio (they have made horror films such as 'Hereditary' and 'Midsommar'),  and I have come to the conclusion that their horror movies aren't for me. But my opinion is in the minority, so definitely check this out and see what you think.

3/10