Written and directed by Mitzi Peirone and co-written by Guinevere Turner, Saint Clare, based on Don Roff’s novel, follows Clare (Bella Thorne), a girl who receives secret messages she believes, like Joan of Arc, are sent from the divine. These messages encourage and reinforce that her actions are justified and serve a purpose greater than herself. These actions, however, are brutal murders, though they are inflicted upon savage criminals; thus, “Saint Clare” believes she is embarking upon a righteous quest.
Clare receives visitations from the ghostly Mailman Bob (Frank Whaley), who serves as a kind of Victor Pascow, warning and guiding Clare as the plot thickens. Whilst in the middle of college and auditions for a play focused on murder, Detective Rich Timmons (Ryan Phillippe) begins questioning the students, including Clare, as to their movements following the discovery of a murdered trafficker. Clare tells the detective she was with her friend and grandmother, Gigi (Rebecca De Mornay). Soon, a sticky web of intrigue develops, not merely surrounding the man that Clare killed, but her friends, Detective Timmons, and Bob. However, Clare has kicked a hornet’s nest she cannot simply walk away from.
Bella Thorne appears shaken and drenched in this gripping moment from Saint Clare.
“…Clare, a girl who receives secret messages she believes, like Joan of Arc, are sent from the divine.”
Saint Clare is a slow burn that builds in complexity, which finally erupts as the story unfolds. Peirone handles the shifts from dark comedy to horror superbly. The script is stylish, clever, and surprising. What seems like a run-of-the-mill teen slasher with a difference quickly shifts gears into a satisfying and blood-soaked thriller, with twists and turns that are both bizarre and brilliant.
It is great seeing Phillippe come along with some maturity, much like Josh Hartnett in Oppenheimer. De Mornay’s brief turn is brilliant. Where she was once The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, here De Mornay is the caring yet frightened soul that is desperately trying to stop Clare from tumbling into the abyss. The actor has an exposition dump, uncovering a history in which Gigi worked in movies and taught Clare how to stunt fight. But De Mornay’s delivery makes it damn cool. However, credit must go to Bella Thorne for holding it all together with a central performance that runs the gamut between delicate and dangerous. Plus, a shout out to the best performance in the movie from the always great Whaley.
Saint Clare will sneak up on you as it did me. It’s a murder mystery with dark horrors and giggles blended delectably.
"…a satisfying and blood-soaked thriller, with twists and turns that are both bizarre and brilliant."
