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Saint Maud

Saint Maud
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRose Glass
Written byRose Glass
Produced by
  • Andrea Cornwell
  • Oliver Kassman
Starring
CinematographyBen Fordesman
Edited byMark Towns
Music byAdam Janota Bzowski
Production
companies
Distributed byStudioCanal
Release dates
  • 8 September 2019 (2019-09-08) (TIFF)
  • 9 October 2020 (2020-10-09) (United Kingdom)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.5 million[1]
Box office$1.6 million[2][3]

Saint Maud is a 2019 British psychological horror film written and directed by Rose Glass in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Morfydd Clark as a religious private carer who becomes dangerously fixated with saving the soul of her patient. Jennifer Ehle, Lily Frazer, Lily Knight, Marcus Hutton, Turlough Convery and Rosie Sansom appear in supporting roles.

Saint Maud premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September 2019, and was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on 9 October 2020 by StudioCanal. It received critical acclaim, with particular praise for Glass' direction and screenplay, the performances of Clark and Ehle, and Fordesman's cinematography. At the 74th British Academy Film Awards, Glass was nominated for Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. The film earned a record seventeen nominations at the British Independent Film Awards 2020 and won two, Best Cinematography for Fordesman and the Douglas Hickox Award for Glass.[4][5]

Plot

A nurse named Katie fails to save the life of a patient in her care, despite attempting CPR.

Some time later, Katie, now referring to herself as Maud, has become a devout Roman Catholic and is working as a private palliative care nurse in an English seaside town. She is assigned to care for Amanda, a hedonistic former dancer and choreographer from the United States who is terminally ill with stage four lymphoma. Amanda is embittered by her fate and confesses to Maud that she fears the oblivion of death. Maud comes to believe that God has tasked her with saving the atheist Amanda's soul. Maud reveals to Amanda that she sometimes feels God's presence, and she and Amanda appear to be overcome with ecstasy as they pray together.

Maud becomes suspicious of Amanda's lesbian companion Carol, who visits regularly and with whom Amanda has sex. She implores Carol to stop visiting because she believes Amanda's soul is in jeopardy due to distractions of the flesh. Carol is incensed by this, accusing Maud of homophobia, but Maud rebukes this stating that she would not care whether Carol were a man or a woman. Carol attends Amanda's birthday party anyway, and in front of Maud, Amanda informs the partygoers that Maud tried to drive Carol away. The party guests laugh at Maud, calling her "Saint Maud", and wrap a cover on her head. Amanda mocks Maud for trying to save her soul and suggests that she is a homophobic prude, jealous of her relationship with Carol. Maud strikes Amanda and is dismissed from her job.

Believing that God has rejected her, Maud visits a pub to find companionship but is rejected by most of the people she meets. She goes home with a man and during sex suffers flashbacks of the death of her patient and her attempts at CPR, which causes her to stop. The man initially appears sympathetic but then continues to rape Maud who resists, and then appears to dissociate. As she is leaving, he taunts her by revealing that he remembers her hooking up with a friend of his during her hedonistic past.

While out walking, she encounters Amanda's new nurse and storms off when she realizes that her replacement enjoys a good relationship with Amanda. In her decrepit apartment, Maud begs for a sign from God who appears to tell her to be ready for an act that will demonstrate her faith. Repentant of her actions, Maud assembles a spugna for her right foot to practice the mortification of the flesh.

That night, Maud, dressed in a makeshift robe and wearing rosary beads, enters Amanda's house after the care nurse leaves. She finds Amanda in bed, weakened. Amanda asks forgiveness for mocking her faith, and Maud joyously reminds her of the time they experienced God's presence. Amanda reveals that she feigned the experience and that she believes God is not real. Maud recoils in horror as a now-demonic Amanda hurls her across the room and mocks her for needing to prove her faith. In a delirious frenzy, Maud stabs Amanda to death with a pair of scissors.

In the morning, Maud wanders onto a beach and douses herself with acetone before horrified onlookers. She utters her last words in Welsh—"Glory to God"—as she self-immolates. In her last moments, angel wings appear upon her and the onlookers kneel in awe as Maud looks up to the sky glowing with grace. The scene then smash-cuts for a split second to the reality of Maud being burned alive and screaming in agony.

Cast

Production

The film was developed by Escape Plan Productions with funding from Film4 Productions and the British Film Institute. In November 2018, it was announced Clark and Ehle had joined the cast of the film, with Rose Glass directing from her own screenplay. Principal photography began that same month in North London and Scarborough, and lasted for five weeks.[6]

Release

Saint Maud had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September 2019.[7][8] Shortly afterwards, A24 and StudioCanal acquired North American and UK distribution rights to the film, with Diaphana Distribution acquiring French distribution rights and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquiring rights for all remaining territories.[9][10] It also screened at Fantastic Fest on 19 September 2019,[11] and the BFI London Film Festival on 5 October 2019.[12] The film went on to receive a Special Commendation in the Official Competition section of the London Film Festival, with the jury president, Wash Westmoreland, saying, "This dazzling directorial debut marks the emergence of a powerful new voice in British cinema."[13]

It was originally scheduled to be released in the United States on 10 April 2020,[14] and in the United Kingdom on 1 May 2020.[15] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release was postponed in the United States until 17 July 2020, and was later pulled entirely from the schedule.[16][17][18][19] It was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on 9 October 2020, and on DVD and Blu-ray on 1 February 2021.[20][21] It was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on 29 January 2021, followed by video on demand and Epix on 12 February 2021.[22]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 193 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's consensus reads: "A brilliantly unsettling blend of body horror and psychological thriller, Saint Maud marks an impressive debut for writer-director Rose Glass."[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[24]

Director Danny Boyle described Saint Maud as "a genuinely unsettling and intriguing film. Striking, affecting and mordantly funny at times, its confidence evokes the ecstasy of films like Carrie, The Exorcist, and Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin."[25] Katie Rife of The A.V. Club gave the film a grade of "B+", saying that the finale was shocking.[26] In a review for Common Sense Media, Danny Brogan wrote, "A deeply unsettling, yet superb first feature film from director and writer Rose Glass, this psychological horror is far more than just jump-scares – though there are plenty of those too. At the heart of Saint Maud is loneliness and how it can manifest. Maud is a deeply lonely character, whose need for redemption and a desire to belong, all contribute to form a dangerous cocktail with devastating consequences."[27]

Film critic Mark Kermode listed it as his favourite film of 2020, calling it an "electrifying debut".[28]

Accolades

Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result
2021 41st London Film Critics' Circle Awards Film of the Year Saint Maud Nominated
Director of the Year Rose Glass Nominated
Actress of the Year Morfydd Clark Nominated
Supporting Actress of the Year Jennifer Ehle Nominated
Screenwriter of the Year Rose Glass Nominated
British/Irish Film of the Year Saint Maud Won
British/Irish Actress of the Year Morfydd Clark Won
Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker of the Year Rose Glass Won
23rd British Independent Film Awards Best British Independent Film Rose Glass, Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman Nominated
Best Director Rose Glass Nominated
Best Actress Morfydd Clark Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Jennifer Ehle Nominated
Best Screenplay Rose Glass Nominated
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) Won
Best Debut Screenwriter Nominated
Breakthrough Producer Oliver Kassman Nominated
Best Casting Kharmel Cochrane Nominated
Best Cinematography Ben Fordesman Won
Best Costume Design Tina Kalivas Nominated
Mark Towns Nominated
Best Effects Scott MacIntyre, Baris Kareli, Kristyan Mallett Nominated
Best Make-Up & Hair Design Jacquetta Levon Nominated
Best Music Adam Janota Bzowski Nominated
Best Production Design Paulina Rzeszowska Nominated
Best Sound Paul Davies, Simon Farmer, Andrew Stirk Nominated
74th British Academy Film Awards Outstanding British Film Rose Glass, Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman Nominated
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer Rose Glass, Oliver Kassman Nominated
30th British Academy Cymru Awards Best Actress Morfydd Clark Won
2022 24th Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best First Feature Saint Maud Won
Best Director Rose Glass Nominated
Best Lead Performance Morfydd Clark Nominated
Best Supporting Performance Jennifer Ehle Nominated
Best Screenplay Rose Glass Nominated

Stage adaptation

In 2024, Jessica Andrews adapted Saint Maud with director Jack McNamara for the Live Theatre Company.[29]

References

  1. ^ "Rose Glass talks 'Love Lies Bleeding', casting Kristen Stewart and working with a much bigger budget".
  2. ^ "Saint Maud". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Saint Maud". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  4. ^ Pulver, Andrew (9 December 2020). "Saint Maud leads British independent film award nominations". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  5. ^ Dalton, Ben (9 December 2020). "BIFAs 2020: 'Saint Maud' leads with record 17 nominations". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Rose Glass' Saint Maud starring Morfydd Clark & Jennifer Ehle starts shooting" (Press release). Channel 4. 19 November 2018. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  7. ^ "Saint Maud". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  8. ^ Erbland, Kate (8 August 2019). "TIFF 2019 Announces Docs and Midnight Madness Slates, With Films From Alex Gibney and Takashi Miike". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  9. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (16 September 2019). "A24 Picks Up TIFF Midnight Madness Pic 'Saint Maud'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  10. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (20 September 2019). "Toronto Hit 'Saint Maud' Closes UK & France Deals For Protagonist". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Saint Maud". Fantastic Fest. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Saint Maud". BFI London Film Festival. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Monos, Atlantics and White Riot among prize winners at LFF 2019". What's Worth Seeing. 12 October 2019. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  14. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (17 December 2019). "'Saint Maud' Trailer: A24's Latest Horror Evokes 'The Exorcist,' 'Carrie,' and 'Under the Skin'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  15. ^ "Saint Maud". Launching Films. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  16. ^ Waddington, Liam (26 March 2020). "A24's new horror film Saint Maud has been pulled from April release". Flickering Myth.
  17. ^ Exhibitor Relations Co. [@ERCboxoffice] (24 March 2020). "A24's SAINT MAUD moves away from an April 10 wide release...and now rattles its chains on the dreaded date" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ Miska, Brad (16 June 2020). "MOVIESRejoice! A24's 'Saint Maud' Brings Horror Back to Theaters on July 17th". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  19. ^ "Saint Maud". A24. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  20. ^ Travis, Ben (9 September 2020). "Saint Maud – Exclusive Artwork For Rose Glass's Must-See Horror". Empire. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  21. ^ Squires, John (2 December 2020). "A24's 'Saint Maud' is Coming to UK DVD and Blu-ray in February 2021; Still No US Release Date". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (12 January 2021). "As 'Saint Maud' Builds Awards Season Heat, A24 Pic Will Hit Theaters At End Of Month & Scores Big Epix Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  23. ^ "Saint Maud". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  24. ^ "Saint Maud". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  25. ^ "Saint Maud Director Rose Glass wins £50,000 film bursary". What's Worth Seeing. 1 October 2019. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  26. ^ Rife, Katie (2 October 2019). "Celebrated Auteurs, Freddy Krueger Drag, and Exploding Eyeballs: The Best of Fantastic Fest 2019". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  27. ^ "Saint Maud Movie Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  28. ^ Kermode, Mark (26 December 2020). "Film: Mark Kermode's 10 best of 2020". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  29. ^ Whetstone, David (13 September 2024). "Saint Maud set to unsettle". Cultured North East. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
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