Fantastic Fest Review: Saint Maud

Anyone can clean up after the dying; it’s the saving of souls that is the really tough work. So says Maud (Morfydd Clark), a young palliative care nurse with her fair share of demons.

We meet Maud as she takes on Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), a once-famous dancer content who has chosen to spend her last few months on the English coast. Before long, Maud becomes obsessed with the prospect of saving Amanda’s soul, no matter the personal cost.

While there is no shortage of religious horror films that grapple with the authenticity of demonic influence, Saint Maud is, quite simply, operating at a different level. Glass recognizes that the concept of spiritual warfare is too insidious – and too slippery – to play out as a series of jump scares. People who believe that humanity is engaged in an active and bloody conflict against the devil defy easy comprehension. Maud’s repeated instances of self-harm – and her sincere belief that her god will accept any forms of self-mutilation as a sanctifying act – imbues Saint Maud with a feeling of unease that most horror films could only hope to obtain.

And make no mistake: this is Morfydd Clark’s show, and she offers the kind of career-defining turn that has become increasingly commonplace with A24 releases. From her thrashes of religious ecstasy to the increasing cynicism of her nightly prayers, Clark wades into ambiguous waters with confidence and clarity that instantly ranks hers among the great horror performances of the decade. And when Clark and director Rose Glass stick the landing, it pays off in spades, making this the kind of slow-burn horror you like now and will love later. Saint Maud may move slowly and deliberately, but Clark makes sure we are always in her character’s capable hands - whether we want to be or not.

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Saint Maud

U.S. Premiere
Wed., Sept. 25, 8pm