In what one could easily perceive as the unlikeliest of subject-matter combinations, religious tales within the horror film genre have gone hand-in-hand for decades now. The blending of the two often leads to polarizing and controversial results among the public (as is understandable based on the sensitivity of the faith-based world explored in the story and the horrific nature of the events often depicted on screen), but also vastly successful considering the low-budget nature of the cinematic efforts and the loyal horror fanbase waiting to eat up the material.
Of course, none is more unforgettable or impactful in this arena than 1973's The Exorcist; a religious-based horror possession film that is so masterful, that it stands uncontested in this category to this very day. But the genre has thrived from other efforts over the years such as The Omen series, The Conjuring franchise (specifically involving The Nun) and even up to 2024's sleeper-gem Immaculate (which starred Sydney Sweeney as the unsuspecting female protagonist caught up in a jaw-dropping church conspiracy). The latest to come on the scene is Consecration from Vertigo Releasing, which is available for all Digital platforms as of June 16, 2025.
After the suspicious and mysterious death of her brother (who serves as a priest at a remote location in Scotland), a young woman named Grace (
Sucker Punch's Jena Malone) travels to the church intent on investigating what happened in conjunction with the authorities, but soon finds the nuns and the head of the church; Father Romero (
30 Days Of Night's Danny Huston) taking a vested and at times, disturbing interest in her personally the longer she spends at the location. Grace soon comes to realize that the church has ill-intentions toward her, but the reasoning behind it is righteous in their view.
Directed by Christopher Smith (known for the British horror films
Creep, Black Death and
Severance),
Consecration proves to be a worthwhile watch even if the murkiness of the story for the viewer is often too vague (or uneven as it pertains to the third act of the film, with a twist reminiscent of Mike Flanagan's
The Haunting Of Hill House) and the unexplainable forces you to draw your own conclusions about Grace.
Consecration certainly falls more on the creepy scale than it does frights, and although there are times the movie does get bloody, it seems to refrain itself from going perhaps too far over the top on that spectrum of the genre as well.
What works well for it though are the committed performances from the entire cast, from Malone, Huston (who is always a welcome ominous presence), the supporting characters around Grace and certainly classical stage actress Janet Suzman (at 85 years old) as Mother Superior. The location doesn't hurt the film either, with a beautiful Scottish setting and a haunting cliff-top at the church location which serves as a key plot point in the film. Although the movie runs at a tight 80-90 minutes, its slow-burn approach at least allows the story and the characters to develop and breath.
It feels quite consistent watching the film that
Consecration very much wants to deliver something uniquely special and creative for this corner of the genre, but it ultimately ends up short on cohesively connecting the dots and leaving a lasting impression. To its credit,
Consecration is a well-made genre film and contains a few unsettling moments which give it higher value than most. A viewer could do far worse in exploring other 'unholy' horror films of the past (to see what I mean, look no further than 2021's
The Unholy for clunker-precision) over
Consecration, which is an admirable cinematic effort, but in need of further-
refining.
THE REELVISION RATING: 📽📽📽 (out of 5/📽)
*all images courtesy of Vertical Releasing and Strike Media Ltd.
