by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s Saint Clare by Mitzi Peirone.
Synopsis
In a small town a solitary woman named Clare (Bella Thorne) 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.
The Good
Joseph: Saint Clare attempts a new angle on killer-of-those-who-deserve-it genre fare. College student Clare made her first kill at a very young age, viewers learn early on, and as a college student, she continues her quest, all the while considering herself not unlike Joan of Arc. This psychologically unbalanced character gives star Thorne plenty with which to work, and she does a superb job in the role. The sizable supporting cast is also fine throughout, led by Frank Whaley as an important character from Clare’s past and including Joel Michaely in a fun, over-the-top performance as Clare’s drama teacher and Rebecca De Mornay as Clare’s stoner grandmother. The film looks great, with wonderfully cinematography by Luka Bizeli. Peirone crafts an engaging balance of mystery and horror elements that holds attention throughout.
Mike: There are a lot of films similar to Saint Clare, so what makes this one worth a watch? For starters there’s Bella Thorne as Clare, a young college gal who channels Joan of Arc as she validates her actions as mentioned in the synopsis. Thorne does a great job at bringing Clare to life which is no easy feat thanks to her damaged psyche, moving quickly from someone who just wants to have normal experiences like enjoying a party, to someone digging into a slew of cold cases involving missing young women.
There's also the dark and serious subject matter that Clare finds herself drawn towards as the story moves along. Perione's mix of lighter moments serves these darker aspects well, making them even more grave and consequential than they might be were they the sole focus.
One of the standout pieces of the film is Frank Whaley as Bob the Mailman, although not much can be said about him so as to avoid any type of spoilers. Suffice it to say Bob is a very integral and memorable part of the film.
The Bad
Joseph: Saint Clare seems content to scratch the surface of some of its themes without digging too much deeper. Some characters feel there to serve purposes rather than to have more nuanced relationships and to reveal more about themselves and about Clare.
Mike: The film, at times, plays like a whodunnit type of crime TV show with Clare showing flashes of excellence at whatever skill she currently needs — be it investigative, hand-to-hand combat, or teasing and enticing. This makes her come across as a little less than believable.
The story tends to wander in a few places when it comes to flesh out a few of the supporting characters, although not enough to be distracting and is only worth mentioning as one of the film’s only real faults.
The Verdict
Joseph: Saint Clare is a highly entertaining slice of genre cinema. Thorne’s performance is super and the film warrants a recommendation for that alone — although there is plenty more to like. Recommended for genre-film enthusiasts seeking something with a nice balance between darker themes and lighter amusement.
Mike: Peirone has put together an engaging thriller in Saint Clare that often tends to rely on tropes and clichés to move the story in and out of some situations, but Bella Thorne’s performance makes up for any shortcomings one may pick at. The plot is fairly simple, but the dark and serious themes help to create a layered story that should keep viewers glued to their seats in anticipation of where the narrative goes with each reveal.
Saint Clare
Directed By: Mitzi Peirone
Written By: Mitzi Peirone, Don Roff, Guinevere Turner
Starring: Bella Thorne, Rebecca De Mornay, Ryan Phillippe
Run Time: 1h 32m
Rating: NR
Release Date: 2024
[There was no trailer available at the time of this review]
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