Consecration

Consecration was a very pleasant surprise: a fine production and cast, on top some story in the line of movies a la The Exorcist or The Medusa Touch (Richard Burton, 1978) and the like. Mostly I watched this one because of Jena Malone and I was not disappointed - her fine performance gives Grace, our by mysteries and death surrounded hero, gestalt, depth. Consecration is for sure no movie for the pure gorehound or for those who want the simple pleasures of a slasher movie served, but rather for those who can enjoy a slowly unfolding plot sugared by some dark atmosphere and fine settings. No doubt, this one is no masterpiece but an entertaining snack for the connoisseurs of previously mentioned movies.

First off, shout outs to Jena Malone who looks fantastic. And now the film. This was a solid watch from start to finish that falls into the suspense religious somewhat embodiment of the supernatural. A story of a journey of a woman who's past, present and future all come together in real time, for the unveiling of who she has been since a child. Cast, story, the religious backdrop, all made a good bit of sense only because of what you find out in the ending part of the film. And I did like how the story did project that mother superior was the person you would have suspected for her nefarious persona only to find out just the opposite. Although the films are not similar, I could not help get the same vibe when I watched the Sixth Sense. Not a horror film but a decent suspense thriller.

I had not heard about this 2023 thriller titled "Consecration" prior to sitting down to watch it. And truth be told, I wasn't really harboring much of any grand expectations, as the vast majority of religiously-themed horror and thriller movies tend to be tedious and questionable at best.

Yet, I opted to sit down and watch "Consecration" on account of never having seen it before.

Writers Christopher Smith and Laurie Cook put together a script that was sort of suitable for a single viewing. I mean, I managed to sit through it, though I was only mildly entertained. The narrative was a bit too mundane and slow paced for my liking. And there wasn't really much excitement throughout the course of the 91 minutes that the movie ran for. You could say, in lack of a better term, that the movie was generic.

I was only familiar with actor Danny Huston on the cast list here, and he did add his usual charm to the movie. It should be noted, however, that the acting performances in "Consecration" were actually fair enough, especially when taking into consideration the limitations of the script.

For a thriller or horror movie then "Consecration" was a walk in the park. There was nothing scary or remotely disturbing here, aside from how linear and predictable the movie was.

Suitable for a single viewing, if you have nothing better on the to-watch-list. But this is not a movie that can sustain more than a single viewing.

My rating of director Christopher Smith's "Consecration" lands on a five out of ten stars.

I'm writing this review because those I've recently seen (e.g. On the Roger Ebert site), clearly didn't understand what they were watching and what the actual story was. They WANTED a character drama in the cliched sense, when what they got was a mystic mystery of sorts. If you're patient and attentive, you'll understand it all comes together at the end. This is not one of Smith's best, but it's definitely good. It's also completely devoid of sickening Hollywood trends that have made so much of entertainment into an excuse to bash the viewer in the face with ideology.

Consecration is recommended for serious horror fans.

This is marketed as a horror movie, but I think it's more of a lean, tightly written mystery with horrific elements. The clues are so densely packed I couldn't leave to get a soda refill, for fear of missing some key point in the story.

Jena Malone is great as always, though her accent is a bit shaky in places. Janet Suzman is a standout as Mother Superior, as is Ian Pirie, who is genuinely frightening as Jena's dad.

Scenes jump back and forth in time and from dreams to reality in a disorienting fashion, but the final resolution ties up all...and I do mean ALL the loose ends in a way I found very satisfying.

Other reviews have commented that too much of the mystery is given away early. I disagree. I could see the general direction it was going but was still surprised at the reveal.

Smarter than the typical jump-scare movie that gets released every week, it will keep your interest and make you think. Just don't expect it to make you jump out of your seat.

Recommended.