Tortured Religious Fanaticism, for Women!
The horror genre has always been full of freaky female religious zealots. These two movies take a more grounded approach to spiritual trauma
Saint Maud (2019) d: Rose Glass
The Lodge (2019) d: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
I guess we were all in a spiritual crisis in 2019, huh?
Saint Maud is from our current fave, A24. This is Rose Glass’s directorial debut, and I can’t wait to watch everything she does, always, because it’s so good (Actually, I’m nervous for her, because there’s going to be so much pressure on whatever she does next after racking up so much praise). It won a whole heap of awards, not just because of Glass, as the two main actresses also pull out powerhouse performances. It totally sticks the landing, which is never a given, and the ending scene really sets the whole movie ablaze.
Objectively, The Lodge isn’t as scary or tight as this directing duo’s previous effort, Goodnight Mommy. However, it deals with particular themes that are in line with my specific fears, so this honestly shook me to my core (hello trauma from conservative evangelicalism). This movie really thrives on creating an atmosphere of depression, isolation, and gaslighting (both external and internalized). I’ve seen some critics complain that it indulges in some leaps of narrative logic, and while I get what they are saying, this film felt true to me. And my nightmares.