Director: Mitzi Peirone
Running Time: 93 Minutes
Starring: Bella Thorne, Rebecca De Mornay, Ryan Phillippe, Frank Whaley, Bart Johnson, Dylan Flashner, Jan Luis Castellanos, Joel Michaely, Erica Dasher, Todd Bridges, Joy Rovaris, Erin Eva Butcher
Following on from her 2018 feature, Braid, co-writer/director Mitzi Peirone returns to FrightFest with an adaptation of Don Roff's best-selling novel, 'Clare at Sixteen.' Saint Clare opens with the titular character (played by Bella Thorne) reciting her mantra, that everything she has said and done has been in the hands of God. With full admiration for Joan of Arc, Clare quotes the French hero to psych herself up for something that she was "born to do."
What she is determined to do becomes clear later, as the sixteen-year-old Catholic school student finds her wait for a bus interrupted by a man asking for directions. His story about being in a rush to pick up his daughters is a flimsy cover for his creepy behaviour, with the recited tale falling apart more with each glance inside his car. Willingly entering the vehicle, Clare leaves the man to believe that he holds the power within this situation, although that could not be further from the truth.
As it turns out, Clare is a serial killer with a target for predatory men. In the small town of Pickman Flats, she finds herself driven to solve the rising number of missing girls which is routinely ignored, something which puts her under suspicion of Detective Timmons (Ryan Phillippe).
With a script credited to Guinevere Turner (American Psycho), the story has shades of TV's Dexter as it follows an avenging angel righting wrongs while haunted by a deceased face she knows. As her repeated mantra shows, Clare does not feel remorse for her murderous actions, with the only exception being an accidental victim whose seemingly omniscient spirit she sees.
While she may put on a front to fool others, Clare is still grappling with the trauma of her parents deaths. Her recent move to Pickman Flats is so she can live with Gigi (Rebecca De Mornay), her free-spirited grandmother who attempts at giving the teenager space to enjoy life are recanted upon realizing how much her granddaughter is actually struggling. There is a considerable amount going on with the title character, and Bella Thorne's portrayal is a strange one. The intention appears to be showing how detached this unremorseful killer is from her feelings, yet the central performance feels misjudged as it instead gives an impression of disinterest, and subsequently feels unengaging as a result.
There is a sense of style to Peirone's direction, although it can regularly flip between entrancing and off-putting. There are times when what is on-screen feels like the work of an independent spirit, while other times feel like the camera is being operated by an aunt drunk on spirits. There is also a sense that the film is spread too thinly across numerous elements, as it tries too much left on its plate by a messy screenplay. This is particularly noticeable with an obvious character revelation, as too little time spent with them leaves the ultimate reveal to lack impact. The cherry on top is the curious dialogue, feeling rather alien as it leaves an odd impression. All of this leaves Saint Clare feeling like a curious idea struggling to emerge from a messy cocoon.
Saint Clare made its UK Premiere at Frightfest 2024
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