The Unholy is a 2021 American supernatural horror film that combines elements of both religion and malevolence. The film is inspired by Shrine, the 1983 novel by British writer James Herbert, and it was adapted and directed by Evan Spiliotopoulos, who spent most of his career working behind the scenes as a screenwriter. This film dives into the perils of blind faith, religious zealotry, and the far more troubling prospect of evil disguised as goodness.
Synopsis
The Unholy centers around the small town of Banfield, Massachusetts, where we meet Gerry Fenn, a journalist with a notorious reputation for lying and making outrageous claims. Trying to revive his career, he heads over to Banfield to chase what looks like another dead-end story involving a tree with occult symbols. To his disbelief, he changes his mind when he witnesses a so-called miracle.
Fenn meets with Alice Pagett. Alice is a mute and deaf teenage girl, but astonishingly starts talking and hearing after visiting a tree stump where it’s believed the Virgin Mary appeared. After that, Alice starts performing miraculous healings that … well, miracles, attracting bishops and Papals. Pilgrims end up crowding in parties everywhere giving Alice a taste of her celebrity life.
Despite all the hunky dory nature of the story, Fenn and other characters start to pick up on sinister undertones regarding the “miracles” Alice has been performing. It is possible the Virgin Mary, the figure Alice claims to communicate with, is nothing more than a vengeful ghost of Mary Elnor – the witch who was executed at the stump in the 1800s. Mary Elnor was said to be the possessor of witchcraft and needed Alice’s help in order to regain her strength.
Initially self-serving Fenn uncovers the horrifying reality behind the so-called miracles. It becomes evident that these so-called “faith” acts are anything but divine when deaths and other dark occurrences start to take place during Alice’s healing sessions. Fenn, along with Father Hagan, the priest and uncle of Alice, and Bishop Gyles, a church official who harbors doubts, scrambles to unearth the truth and prevent the malevolence from being unleashed by Mary Elnor through Alice. Fenn exposes devastating consequences set to pour forth if Elnor is allowed to execute her plan.
Cast and Crew
Director, Writer:
Evan Spiliotopoulos
Based on the book:
James Herbert’s Shrine
Producers:
Sam Raimi
Rob Tapert
Evan Spiliotopoulos
Main Cast:
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Gerry Fenn
Cricket Brown as Alice Pagett
William Sadler as Father Hagan
Katie Aselton as Natalie Gates
Cary Elwes as Bishop Gyles
Diogo Morgado as Monsignor Delgarde
Christine Adams as Monica Slade
Cinematographer:
Craig Wrobleski
Editor:
Jake York
Music:
Joseph Bishara
Production Companies:
Ghost House Pictures
Screen Gems
Distributor:
Sony Pictures Releasing
IMDb Rating and Reception
The unholy has an approximate score of 5.1/10 on IMDb, indicating mixed reception. Critics and audiences alike have not fully favored the film which, despite its promising premise and a scary atmosphere, was critiqued for over reliance on typical horror plots and expectable scares. However, many found captivating the most predominant idea of faith being evil lies sophisticatedly masked under the veil of holiness that takes turns through the story.
Critics largely praised Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s performance, arguing that his depiction of Fenn granted the film some solid credibility considering its predictable plot. Many emphasized Brown’s portrayal of Alice Pagett’s emotional breakdown was powerful for someone in her debut role as well.
Critical Analysis
Having a balanced approach to the horror theme of “The Unholy”, by having it be centered around religion, unlocks some unique fears based on faith, evil, and the notion evil often presents itself as something divine.The fact that miracles are not only accepted by the townsfolk, but also higher members from the Catholic Church shows the manipulation institutions face due to supernatural forces.
Gerry Fenn’s character is the focus of a redemptive subplot. Fenn’s protective stance towards Alice provides the film with a more emotional foundation which is required in spectacle driven films. Transformation has different perspectives, and for Fenn that meant moving from passing off stories to his skeptics to becoming an investigative journalist, all enabled due to some supernatural events.
Despite these great elements, the film has some unaddressed imperfections. Itn does not come as a surprise that the plot twists are fairly easy to guess, especially for horror aficionados and fans. The CGI used to create Mary Elnor’s spirit was overly done and detracted from the tension rather than adding to it.
Production and Development
The filming locations of The Unholy were in Massachusetts to fit the narrative of the story which was set in a cold, ominous town filled with superstition and rich history. Principal filming commenced in early 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Additional changes were made to the production and release due to the pandemic.
As a specialist in the horror genre, Sam Raimi served as a producer and claimed his place on the film’s tone and rhythm. Though not explicitly stylized like some of Raimi’s previous films (The Evil Dead, Drag Me to Hell), The Unholy does show some heavy influence as it does feature elements of his slow storytelling that results in brutal horror outbursts.
Themes and Symbolism
The multi-awarded masterpiece is a joke with numerous symbolical themes:
The Fight of Faith and Skepticism: The battle of believing and not believing is the strongest focus throughout the film. In a surprising turn of events, Fenn, the non-believer, is the one who ends up telling the truth as is the man of faith. Fenn captures the truth, while the faithful only ever get deceived.
The Perils of Her Blind Devotion: The miracles bestowed upon Alice are given credence without critical examination as she tests for the supernatural powers granted to her. Her legend represents the willingness of people to follow would-be divining signs blindly.
Corruption of Innocence: Analysis A weak willed and softhearted adolescent, Alice has served the purpose of evil. Her manipulation demonstrates that even the innocents are not beyond scape when wrapped in a false promise that they are to be used for real goodness.
Release and Box Office
Amidst the gradual reopening of cinemas post pandemic, The Unholy was released in theaters on April 2, 2021. Marketing for the film was not aggressive but it did fare reasonably well at the box office for a mid-budget horror flick, earning approximately 30 million dollars worldwide against a reported 10 million dollar budget.
Conclusion
Despite it’s shortcomings in execution, The Unholy is one of the most modern supernatural horrors with great underlying themes. The film did not offer new methods of scares and the storytelling was considerably weak, but the examination of faith and belief gone awry which has corrosion is haunting in its intensity and stays with one long after the viewing. For religious horror enthusiasts who enjoy tension, The Unholy delivers a compelling tale infused with moral complexity and steeped in spiritual enigma.
The unholy can either be interpreted as a traditional war of good and evil with an underlying warning or at the same time. The unholy poses a chilling question: a face of miracle, what exactly lurks beneath the disguise?
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