Saint Clare (2025) - Film Review

      Saint Clare, 2025.

      Directed by Mitzi Peirone.

      Featuring Bella Thorne, Ryan Phillippe, Rebecca De Mornay, Frank Whaley, Bart Johnson, Dylan Flashner, Jan Luis Castellanos, Joel Michaely, Erica Dasher, Todd Bridges, Joy Rovaris, and Erin Eva Butcher.

      SYNOPSIS:

      In a small town, a reclusive woman is tormented by voices that compel her to eliminate malicious individuals, managing to evade consequences, until her final target plunges her into a chaotic world filled with corruption, trafficking, and supernatural visions.

      Saint Clare swiftly squanders its bizarre yet empowering premise centered around the titular Clare (played by Bella Thorne), a 16-year-old Catholic school student deeply affected by her faith (an internal voice accompanied by surreal flashbacks insists all her actions are divinely motivated) as she becomes a contemporary Joan of Arc, putting herself in precarious situations with dangerous men to take them out.

      The film’s strongest moment arrives right from the start, displaying Clare’s ability to discern that a man repeatedly offering her a ride and requesting directions to retrieve his non-existent daughter poses a threat. She confidently climbs into his backseat, even as he awkwardly tries to divert her attention and makes feeble attempts at conversation. Bella Thorne convincingly portrays the character, skillfully balancing her fear while reassuring the audience that she is in control. There’s a somewhat twisted satisfaction in watching Clare dispatch this man. All Saint Clare needs to do for success is to delve into Clare’s character in a meaningful way while providing more of these vigilante murders. However, it fails to make that effort.

      Adapted from Don Roff’s novel by director Mitzi Peirone and co-writer Guinevere Turner, the plot takes a different turn, expanding outwards and suggesting Clare is now in serious danger because her recent victim is tied to a larger syndicate of abusers. It also reveals that several teenage girls have been disappearing in the vicinity for a considerable time (with Clare being a newcomer from New York), possibly connected to this situation.

      As a result, Saint Clare takes on the form of an investigative narrative that quickly becomes absurd and perplexing, resembling a CW drama despite its R-rated themes. To begin with, Clare communicates with the spirit of one of her former victims, a somewhat unintentional casualty. This ghostly interaction adds no value to the storyline and is ultimately discarded in the latter half, with Clare herself questioning the ghost’s whereabouts. Additionally, there are comical attempts to showcase Clare’s difficulties in socializing with her classmates (none of whom, including Bella Thorne, appear to be teenagers), including her involvement in an upcoming gender-reversed play. Brief explorations of her home life with her ex-actress grandmother, Gigi (Rebecca De Mornay), also yield minimal results.

      The central focus revolves around the convoluted narrative concerning the missing girls, with one of Clare’s friends being the next potential victim. This mystery fails to engage and is far too predictable to evoke any real concern. A glance at the cast reveals who is likely involved in these disappearances. The film teases one last twist towards the end, which remains unresolved, leaving viewers questioning whether there are plans for a sequel.

      While Saint Clare manages some level of engagement when it centers on Bella Thorne confronting vile men, making it somewhat watchable and mildly enjoyable, there is hope that a sequel could greatly enhance the narrative. Nevertheless, this film doesn’t deliver on the action until the climax and misses the mark, failing to recognize that it should be a character study of a serial killer rather than the myriad of themes it encompasses.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder