In terms of overlapping themes, Black Death and Triangle director/writer Christopher Smith picks up where he left off with 2021’s The Banishing for his latest, Consecration. A woman once again sees herself as an unwitting pawn of the Church and the horrors it births, keeping the psychological mysteries close to the vest. Only this time, its heroine is far more relentless in uncovering answers. The spiritual sibling feature falls into similar narrative pitfalls but is anchored by a compelling lead.

Grace (Jena Malone) favors science; she works at an optometrist’s office and identifies as an atheist. She’s the opposite of her estranged brother Michael (Steffan Cennydd), a priest that lives in a Scottish convent. Grace’s distrust of the Church and a startling emergence of terrifying visions prompt her to discover the truth when she receives word that her brother has committed suicide. She arrives in Scotland to discover the nuns cold and unwelcoming, though she finds aid through investigator Harris (Thoren Ferguson) and Father Romero (Danny Huston). The further into her search, the more the visions and ghostly encounters ramp up, along with the realization that the convent may unlock a disturbing secret from Grace’s past.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films Release.

Smith and co-writer Laurie Cook prolong the central mystery through psychological mind games, mistrustful characters, and waking nightmares. Grace is tormented by images of cliffside suicides and ghostly nuns and is continuously thwarted by those around her. The more Smith relies on the former, the less effective they become. The scares often fall flat the more repetitive they get, compounded by the nonlinear jumps through time. While Smith’s approach fails to elicit goosebumps, it effectively keeps you guessing on a narrative level.

It’s all helped by Jena Malone’s headstrong performance. Grace’s refusal to buy into the Church’s explanation over her brother’s death and her directness in questioning customs gives her rooting interest from the outset. Malone makes it easy to buy into Grace’s personal stakes and relate to her outsider nature amidst a secretive convent, even if her accent occasionally gets a bit shaky. Malone is matched by a charismatic Danny Huston, who brings enough warmth to Father Romero to plausibly serve as a bridge between Grace and the religious setting.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of IFC Midnight. An IFC Midnight Release.

A deceptive simplicity to Consecration belies the heady, ambitious themes Smith tackles here, an extension of previous works. Mental illness, childhood abuse, sacrilege, spiritual brainwashing, and more get explored through various levels of success. All of it is grounded through Grace and her arc. The atmospheric slow burn builds toward a satisfying blood-drenched finale for Grace’s story and the unique religious horror mythology.

Rob Hart and Shaun Mone‘s cinematography captures the dreary gloom and stunning Scotland cliffs, working harmoniously with Smith’s eerie use of mirrors, split diopter shots, and visual horror references to create a dread-soaked atmosphere. A pair of compelling performances by Malone and Huston bolster it. Consecration can’t muster up effective scares and is prone to repetitive tactics. Still, its enigmatic story, bloody finish, and scathing critiques of the Church make for a fascinating journey all the same.

Consecration releases in theaters on February 10, 2023.