A rare theatrical release during lockdown, Saint Maud consequently
received a level of promotion – and hence hype – that it doesn’t really warrant
and cannot possibly live up to. It’s a well-crafted psychological horror with
powerful religious motifs and a superb lead performance by Clark. But it’s not
the great white hope of British horror and certainly not the scariest film of
the year. Maud/Katie is a home carer employed by an agency apparently unaware
that she lost her nursing job after something appallingly bloody happened (glimpsed
in a momentary flashback). A devout Catholic, Maud is sure God has a purpose
for her, which might be saving the soul of her charge, a disabled, bisexual, wine-swigging
ex-dancer. As her grip on reality dissipates – God literally speaks to her (in
Welsh!) – our concern for Maud’s fragile mental health increases. But despite
some wince-inducing moments of self-harm, there’s no real horror till the end
when debut writer-director Glass suddenly throws in blood, violence and unnecessary
VFX. A FilmFour/BFI production, Saint Maud feels very mainstream and
restrained, lacking the punch of a true low-budget indie.
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