Saint Clare (2024)

Director Mitzi Peirone's latest gets its UK premiere at Frightfest prior to a digital release by 101 Films later in the year.

Clare (Bella Thorne) lives in a small town in the US with her grandparents. When she was young she fought and killed a large bearded man who threatened her camping trip. Now she possesses an ability that allows her to identify other men with the same intentions and kill them. She's aided by the ghost of a mailman (Frank Whaley) who died in front of her in the woods.

She attends a party where there's a police raid, and finds herself in the bedroom of the boy who invited her where she discovers a set of compromising photographs, including one of a girl who has recently disappeared. It turns out that she is only the latest of a staggering 53 young women to have vanished in the same town over a period of years. 

SAINT CLARE is the second feature from Mitzi Peirone who's first film, BRAID, also received its UK premiere at Frightfest. At the time I suggested that film probably needed a bit more thinking through so as not to come across solely as a load of pretentious old bollocks. With SAINT CLARE there's more of a plot, the art direction and location work is gorgeous, and the acting's not bad, including turns from Rebecca De Mornay and Ryan Phillippe.

Sadly, however, the direction is ghastly, with the result the film reeks of 'immature sixth form film student project' in its overwhelming and frequently nauseating Dutch camera angles and wobbly hand held shots, none of which help the film and many of which actually hinder it. It's a slight step up from BRAID but at this rate it's going to be a while before Peirone comes up with something watchable. 

SAINT CLARE will be getting a Digital release from 101 Films