Saint Clare – FrightFest 2024 Movie Review
Director: Mitzi Peirone
Writer: Mitzi Peirone, Guinevere Turner (Screenplay)
Writer: Don Roff (Novel)
Cast
- Bella Thorne (Habit)
- Rebecca De Mornay (Identity)
- Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions)
- Frank Whaley (Vacancy)
- Todd Bridges (Diff’rent Strokes)
Plot: In a small town a solitary woman is haunted by voices that lead her to assassinate ill intended people and get away with it, until her last kill sucks her down a rabbit hole riddled with corruption, trafficking and visions from the beyond.
Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Saint Clare starts when we meet Clare (Thorne) who has a gift to communicate with the dead. She uses this gift to target threats and her latest target leads her to gain the attention of Detective Rich Timmons (Phillippe). Clare looks to cover up her tracks, communicate with her ghost Mailman Bob (Whaley) and solve the mystery of the missing women in the area.
The deeper Clare investigates, the more disturbing the secrets of the town become. She must figure out how to expose everything while containing her inner voices, which can consume her at times.
Verdict on Saint Clare
Saint Clare is a horror thriller following a young woman who can hear voices. They guide her to deal with criminals, but things have started to catch up with her. However, her friends are in danger and now she won’t stop until she saves them.
This movie balances the idea of a serial killer getting messages to do the right thing and the mystery that has given her a difficult case to solve. In a way, this feels like ‘Dexter’ as somebody dealing with criminals in their own form of justice. All while talking to the dead who gives her guidance. It has its own style, which brings a much more feminine angle to the character, which even dips into religious belief. This is one of Bella Thorne’s best performances of her young career, with a character that has more meaning than most.
Final Thoughts – Saint Clare is a great mysterious horror.
