Supernatural thrillers are a dime a dozen, but writer/director Mitzi Peirone aims to have her new feature Saint Clare stand out amongst the crowded pack. However, what could’ve been a stylish and emotionally devastating film instead is a bit of a messy, sluggish, and frankly boring entry into the genre. Saint Clare focuses on a young girl named Clare (Bella Thorne), who lives in a small town and is plagued by the voices that compel her to murder insidious individuals and aid her in evading capture. However, after her latest kill, she quickly uncovers a web of corruption, trafficking, and even more of the supernatural. Joining Thorne in the cast is Ryan Phillippe as a Detective on her trail and Frank Whaley as a ghostly spirit named Mailman Bob who continuously has conversations with Clare as she uncovers more and more haunting information.
On paper, this could’ve been something quite singular and refreshing, but everything audiences get here feels like heavily treaded territory with nothing notable to add to the conversation. Making matters worse are the performances, which are plain to say the least. Thorne has never been a terribly compelling actress, but it’s particularly disappointing in this case. Her performance is incredibly monotone and awkward. With a more emotional and passionate performance, this character could’ve easily been one that audiences could become emotionally invested in, but Thorne’s performance didn’t bring that energy. As a result, Clare is simply an unlikable character and one that is quite difficult to root for throughout. Phillippe isn’t much better as the Detective sent in to investigate the murder that Clare commits early on in the film. Phoning it in would be putting it lightly when it comes to describing his performance, essentially walking through a considerably thankless role with a cliche, predictable character trajectory.
Then there’s the script and direction from Peirone, which leaves plenty to be desired. The script is riddled with poorly written dialogue and awkward character interactions that don’t feel natural in the slightest. The scenes in which Clare has conversations with Whaley’s spirit could’ve added some welcome levity to this dark, dour tale, but not only do those scenes fall completely flat, but they feel tonally disjointed from the rest of the film, a glimmer of what this wanted to be. This is a film that feels like it has a serious identity crisis, vacillating between wanting to be a straightforward, grim supernatural thriller and a dark, artsy anti-hero story with a macabre sense of humor. It never fully embraces either, resulting in a frustrating viewing experience.
The direction from Peirone is also noticeably distracting throughout, the camerawork and overall cinematography drawing far too much attention to itself, then adding to the storytelling. The incessant use of Dutch angles and shaky cam becomes far more of a hindrance and visual nuisance than an effective tool of immersion. There’s one scene in particular when Philippe’s character’s head is framed within the circular frame of an object located on a desk that is so overtly obvious that it becomes laughable. Artistic flourishes and a firm, confident visual voice are obviously essential for any filmmaker to make their mark in the cinematic landscape, but when that voice gets in the way of the storytelling, there lies the serious problem.
The pacing is also incredibly sluggish, never gaining any traction or momentum as the story explores more supernatural and horrific territory. This is a film that should have far more narrative propulsion, instead suffering from a script that strangely feels bloated and aimless, with a runtime that is only ninety or so minutes. In fact, the climax of the film feels so abrupt and anti-climactic that the build-up the film had going for it dissipates in a matter of minutes.
1.5/5 Stars
Saint Clare feels like a disappointing missed opportunity in the supernatural genre. While there are some intriguing elements and bold artistic choices that sometimes work, there is clearly a far better film clawing beneath the surface, yearning to get out here. Unfortunately, fans of the genre should steer clear of this ghoulish mess and seek out other anti-heroes that bring far more to the table.
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