Saint Maud is a really effective, slow burning descent into madness where the outcome is inevitable but the way it reaches that conclusion and how it executes it certainly aren't. It's a strong debut for writer-director Rose Glass, showcasing her talents on the page and the screen by being a religious horror by way of Taxi Driver.
Morfydd Clark gives a terrific lead performance, holding the whole thing together whilst burning it down. She's so quiet and seemingly kind at first to clearly hide a dark past that's never too far away from returning. The way she portrays Maud's ecstasy with her newfound faith results in disturbing scenes that you can't take your eyes away from.
Rose Glass' direction cleverly creates a clear contrast between Maud's fantasy and the reality of situations. Sequences of divine faith are quickly followed by the bleak reality and the most intense moments are crafted with a blink-and-you-miss it quality that gives you no time to process what you just witnessed. That's all aided by a suitably Baron score by Adam Janota Bzowski that matches the grey seaside setting.
Morfydd Clark gives a terrific lead performance, holding the whole thing together whilst burning it down. She's so quiet and seemingly kind at first to clearly hide a dark past that's never too far away from returning. The way she portrays Maud's ecstasy with her newfound faith results in disturbing scenes that you can't take your eyes away from.
Rose Glass' direction cleverly creates a clear contrast between Maud's fantasy and the reality of situations. Sequences of divine faith are quickly followed by the bleak reality and the most intense moments are crafted with a blink-and-you-miss it quality that gives you no time to process what you just witnessed. That's all aided by a suitably Baron score by Adam Janota Bzowski that matches the grey seaside setting.