{Movie Review} Dedication – Signal Horizon

I will be honest. I’m not the biggest fan of religious horror. There is The exorcist, The omen, and then countless rip-offs that are still being produced. React to consecration, I was a bit skeptical. It has creepy nuns, the faith versus skepticism debate, and other motifs and images we’ve seen before. The first act plays like a movie about demonic possession and a murder mystery. However, the second half leads to surprising and unexpected places. That old Hellraiser slogan: “Demons for some. Angels for others’ really applies here. No, there are no Cenobites. Instead, the film compellingly explores the demonic and the divine, wrapped in the premise that a medical professional can be a fallen angel.

Jena Malone stars as Grace, a young ophthalmologist. Summoned to Mount Savior Monastery in Scotland, she learns that her brother, a priest, has apparently committed suicide by jumping off a rock ledge. At least that’s what Mother Superior (Janet Suzman) and Father Romero (Danny Huston) tell her. Mother Superior goes so far as to say that the monastery is besieged by a demonic force, hence the suicide. Grace, ever the skeptic, is not convinced. She just doesn’t believe her brother would do such a thing, and there isn’t enough evidence to point to suicide. Watching Grace and Mother Superior go toe to toe intellectually is the first highlight of the movie. Sure, we’ve seen this debate before, but Malone and Suzman are captivating when they appear on screen together.

The first half is light on scares and instead plays out like an increasingly interesting murder mystery. Yet it never drags. First, just as the movie begins, Mother Superior pulls a gun on Grace for no apparent reason. It won’t make sense until much later in the movie. Meanwhile, Rob Hart and Shaun Mone’s captivating cinematography features shots of the choppy sea and verdant landscape. This is in contrast to the white habits of the nuns, who seem to always appear in the background. It’s an eerie juxtaposition of color and scenery. You soon sense that these nuns have something to hide.

The longer Grace stays in the convent, the more unexplained visions she gets. When her health deteriorates, the nuns keep her in the convent and even dress her all in white, much to her dismay and protest. Are they trying to convert her? Trap her? It’s not entirely clear, at least not until the halfway point. And then the movie gets really interesting.

Grace plays a role in all of this and we eventually learn that Father Romero and Mother Superior believe her to be a demonic force. However, there is also the possibility that she is an angel who can perform miracles. The film ultimately explores heresy, evil and the divine. This feature warrants another viewing with plenty to unpack.

The second half also ramps up the kills, and without spoiling anything, let’s just say Grace starts to come into her own. After a slowly swirling first half, watching her realize her full potential and power elevates the movie. Further, the lead actors all give solid performances, especially Malone. As Grace, she plays quite well against the cold and bites Mother Superior. Suzman gives weight to the performance, which is also not without dark humour. It’s a strong cast and quite an effective setting.

Director Christopher Smith is no stranger to genre films. He has another solid feature under his belt, with a strong script he wrote with Laurie Cook. consecration is not your typical religious horror film. It defies all expectations and elevates itself with gripping sequences and philosophical underpinnings. Malone has confidence in the lead role and plays a skeptic who may very well have supernatural powers. Angel? Demon? You decide.

consecration arrives in theaters on February 10 and appears on shudder at a later date.

Brian Fanelli is a poet and educator who also enjoys writing about the horror genre. His work has been published in The L.A. Times, World Literature Today, Schuylkill Valley Journal, horror living room, and elsewhere. On weekends, he enjoys going to the local drive-in movie theater with his wife or curling up on the couch and watching movies with their cat, Giselle.

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