Consecration

Greetings again from the darkness. Horror films and religion are a match made in heaven ... so to speak. The linking of demonic possession and religious artifacts pre-dates cinema, and yet has long been a key element on the big screen. The effect of the cross on Dracula is one example, and of course, the priest visiting young Regan in THE EXORCIST is one for the ages. So many other examples exist that entire books have been written on the topic. It's because of this history that we quickly accept the setting and groundwork of this latest from writer-director Christopher Smith (TRIANGLE, 2009) and co-writer Laurie Cook.

Optometrist Grace (Jena Malone) lives alone with her cat when she is notified that her brother (Steffan Cennydd), a priest, is dead. Supposedly he killed a senior priest before committing suicide. Grace is immediately suspicious of the story and decides to conduct her own investigation. She travels to the convent, located on the edge of an oceanside cliff in a remote area of Scotland, where she discusses the case with Detective Harris (Thoren Ferguson). They both have serious doubts that Mother Superior's (Janet Suzman) chronicle of events is accurate.

Father Romero (Danny Huston) arrives on assignment from the Vatican in order to re-consecrate the convent, and to do so, he must ensure that the truth in the case is disclosed. Adding an element is Grace's admission to being "indifferent" towards God, which of course, makes her a target of the nuns, including a creepy "peek-a-boo" nun played by Elidih Fisher.

The initial set up with Grace and her arrival are extremely well done, and Ms. Malone proves yet again why she has long been a favorite. The good vs evil stage is set, and then filmmaker Smith begins the twists and misdirection. Flashbacks to Grace's childhood are a bit heavy-handed and used to spell out a bit too much, and some of these are simply too obvious and generate a few too many eye-rolls. Mr. Huston is always solid in whatever supporting role he plays, but fans of Jena Malone will likely be somewhat disappointed in a movie that doesn't take full advantage of her presence. Regardless of that, the Scotland countryside is shown in its full glory and that's quite a sight. Just don't expect as much from a horror movie that's just trying too hard.

In theaters beginning February 10, 2023.

I'm always attracted to these Christian horror movies and I love the feeling they gave me. This film was one of the decent ones in that category. Eerie, atmospheric locations, cool concept, impressive direction, dialogues and a stellar cast with stellar performance. But the ending was confusing, rushed and had no satisfying conclusion.

I'm always attracted to these Christian horror movies and I love the feeling they gave me. This film was one of the decent ones in that category. Eerie, atmospheric locations, cool concept, impressive direction, dialogues and a stellar cast with stellar performance. But the ending was confusing, rushed and had no satisfying conclusion.

No spoilers mentioned.

This film was a nice surprise. The camera work and cinematography was excellent. I appreciated the beautiful scenery of Scotland and the gorgeous atmospheric church.

The acting was above reproach.

The screenplay/story wasn't anything really new but the setting made it feel fresh.

There were flashbacks of 2 different time-frames, along side the Main time line that I wish would of tied into the story a lot tighter. That's a lot of history to glue together so keeping it as simple as they did was probably the best route to take. But I did notice how it diluted the story as a whole.

Overall...I enjoyed this film and would recommend it.

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.

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.