Few films tackle faith like Saint Maud does. We’ve all seen Hollywood’s entries of religious freaks doing their best at staining their respective religions. However, the consideration in Saint Maud is collective and certainly not attached to the particular religion it uses in its theme (Catholicism). What differs Saint Maud from its peers is the wonderful exploration of faith not as an element of religion itself, but as a steep stairway into the extremism of belief. In this case a very dark and personal one.

“Saint” is such an important word
Fresh out of an incident in the hospital she worked in as a caregiver, Maud decides to go private and is now part of the team that takes care of a woman dealing with cancer. She used to be a dancer and her convictions are not as moral as Maud’s. She’s gay woman and she just wants to spend her last days enjoying what’s left. She smokes and drinks and curses. Therefore, Maud believes she needs to be saved.

What follows is the unraveling of Maud’s own belief system, a dark exploration of the roots and limbs of catholic faith. A path of self-hurt, sacrifice and moral degradation is a desperate search for answers in Maud’s clash with the reality of the world she must be part of.

A divisive and smart consideration
The general appreciation for Saint Maud that you can find nowadays in film review sites and social media seems to be an overpowering questioning of the ending. In a divisive move by Rose Glass, writer and director of the film, she uses the third act of the film for a final blow. A blunt confirmation for the statement of the film: faith is fragile, but it can also be a relentless driving force behind an important act.

This act may be good or bad, and in Saint Maud we may rush to deliberate on this woman’s actions, because we are part of a society that needs to judge. However, I don’t think the invitation by Glass includes this. I don’t believe she wants us to evaluate Maud as a victim of something larger that she couldn’t control. The approach is much more unorthodox, and definitely more intimate. Her act is the only outcome of what she believes, and this is something the movie doesn’t portray as a good or a bad thing. So, criticizing the ending is determining if Maud deserves this horrible finale. And I believe this is not what the director wants us to do.

The solid examination of belief  
A slow burn A24 horror film. It’s the quintessential film for fans of the distribution studio and a fine reason to follow them. They’re bold in their decisions and Saint Maud is a great example of what they have to offer. Whether you have some issues with the script or the character’s fate, you cannot deny the weight of such an offer in modern horror. Saint Maud has the capacity of leaving you breathless and full of dread, but most important of all, you will question every single belief system that requests faith from followers.

And yes, this goes beyond religion.

HITS:
- Morfydd Clark as Maud, gives us one of those performances that highlight horror as a powerful vehicle of acting.
- A confident script that takes the story and goes all the way without following a single rule that could soften the blow of Saint Maud’s wink at religion.
- The mise en scène is just perfect. A bleak, sordid and daunting stage that cannot end well for anybody.

MISSES:
- Definitely not a miss, but some viewers will question the film’s enigmatic third act.