“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth” is a term that is frequently stated by several of the nuns in Michael Mohan’s psychological horror Immaculate. While the well-known biblical verse refers to finding strength and power in surrendering oneself to the will of God, it takes on a more sinister meaning in this film. Similar to a prison guard’s baton rattling the bars of an inmate’s cell, the phrase serves as a not-so-subtle reminder to Sister Cecilia’s (Sydney Sweeney) that she is to fall in line or face the consequences.

Trapped in a convent that no one seems to leave, at least not alive, the unsuspecting nun initially went to Italy looking to understand God’s purpose for her. What she found instead is a house of terror orchestrated by those who claim to love God, but whose actions seem more akin with the devil.

Clearly the latter was not in the convent’s brochure when Sister Cecilia initially accepted Father Sal Tedeschi’s (Álvaro Morte) offer to join Lady of Sorrows, an isolated monastery in the Italian countryside that tends to dying nuns in their final days, after her church closed due to low attendance.

As with many faith-based horror films, the sense of unease does not immediately reveal itself for the young nun. In fact, the home of faith is somewhat disappointing at first. While Sister Cecilia is eager to assist in any way she can, the daily duties, which include doing laundry and killing chickens for dinner, leave little to be desired. Like peeling wallpaper that can no longer hide the mold behind it, the drudgery of daily life does little to quell Sister Cecilia’s intuition that something is not quite right at the convent.

Things only get stranger when she discovers that she is pregnant despite having never been romantically involved with a man. While Father Tedeschi and others declare it a miracle and begin treating her like a porcelain doll locked behind protective class, the fact that no one seems to care about her wishes, such as wanting to go to the hospital to get checked out, is one of many alarm bells that begin ringing in her head.

As she proceeds through the trimesters that come with pending motherhood, she begins to question if the child inside her is indeed a gift or a curse.

Playing like a modern take on Rosemary’s Baby, by way of Black Narcisus, but without the layered depth of Roman Polanski’s iconic chiller, Immaculate never fully commits to any of the social commentary it repeatedly flirts with. Sure, there are moments that touch on the “my body, my choice” politics of today, and the literal silencing of women in patriarchal systems, but Mohan has nothing meaningful to say.

If anything, Immaculate seems more enraged by the hypocrisy within religion, which leads some to do dastardly deeds in the name of God, than the likes of Father Tedeschi and the group of creepy nuns cloaked in red cloth masks who terrorize Sister Cecilia. The film’s wrath also extends to those in the field of science whose desire to play God are just as damaging as those who use faith as a shield for their ruthlessness.

In an alternate cinematic universe, these themes would have provided plenty of meat to chew on, but Immaculate is not that type of film. Andrew Lobel’s screenplay criminally underwritten barely takes times to sketch out the supporting characters. Look no further than Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcaroli in a scene stealing role), who disappears from the film way to early, and Sister Isabelle (Giulia Heathfield Di Renzi), whose coldness does not have enough time to chill audiences properly, for example of this. The script is more concerned with simply getting viewers to the film’s wild third act.

Fully immersing its boat in the twisty rapids of sacrilegious content, the latter sections are where Immaculate truly comes alive. The delicate tightrope that Mohan walks up to this point, navigating between subtle jump scares and dark humor, is cut. Gleefully embracing it blasphemous content and gory horror beats, the film manages to entertain via the sheer insanity of it all.

While the script takes a familiar path to get to its shocking finale, it is Mohan and Sweeny who make the journey a fun ride. Throughout Mohan’s camera builds the slow burn chills by utilizing shadows and playing with depth to emphasize the growing disconnect between Sister Cecilia’s beliefs and the institution that is not practicing what they preach. A great example of this comes in the confession scene where the framing of the priest’s confessional booth makes him seem further away from Sister Cecilia, a stark contrast to the alternating perspectives, between distance shots and close-ups, used to mimic his view of her.

For her part, Sweeney, who is having quite a moment right now with three films released within four months, is fantastic in the lead role. Convincingly selling both the quieter moments and the outlandish beats with equal measure, she is magnetic onscreen. Even when the character is making questionable choices, logic is not the film’s strong point, Sweeney ensures that one is having fun following her down the rabbit hole of terror.

Immaculate is bound to offend some, especially with its later section actively pushing the buttons of those who take their faith seriously, but the film is not as deep as its premise may lead one to believe. It is best to observe the film for what it is, a work that entertains via its sheer gall. It is a fun horror film that will most likely make you want to purify yourself with holy water after it is over.