Saint Clare
Based on the novel by Don Roff and directed and co-written by Mitzi Peirone, Saint Clare centres around Clare Beeker (Bella Thorne), a college student who lives with her grandmother (Rebecca De Mornay). Despite appearing to have a normal life, hanging out with friends and joining a theatre production, Clare is also a serial killer who communicates with a manifestation of her first victim (Frank Whaley). When she stumbles upon a series of young women who’ve disappeared in the town, she’s driven to find the people responsible. While Peirone’s stylish direction and an extraordinary performance from Thorne elevate the intriguing premise, an underbaked script unfortunately causes Saint Clare to fall flat.
Clare is a cold and efficient killer who shows no remorse for her actions. This is evident early in the film when she takes the life of an unsavoury driver before calmly cleaning the crime scene. Throne’s dry and detached portrayal of a serial killer adds a touch of dark comedy, which endears the character to audiences as she seeks to uncover the truth surrounding the disappearances. Whaley’s chipper mailman is the perfect comedic counterpoint to Thorne, with their interactions designed to provide more depth to the protagonist by exploring her psyche. However, the script doesn’t take this idea far enough to get the most out of it. This is frustratingly a common theme throughout the feature.
This lack of development also extends to the main plot. While watching Clare descend into the rabbit hole initially raises some compelling questions about who may be involved, the film never develops this mystery in meaningful ways. Key events occur without fanfare, and supporting characters and subplots aren’t given the attention they require to make the desired impact. By the time the main culprits are discovered, there’s little interest left for viewers to remain invested in the story.
Peirone utilises bold colours and offbeat editing to give her second feature plenty of flair. Moments like a kaleidoscopic house party and a sequence where Clare envisions herself as Joan of Arc burning at the stake are visually spectacular, but Peirone’s pulpy style doesn’t always fit. Some scenes go overboard and feel awkward as a result.
Saint Clare is a visually striking outing with an alluring premise and a magnificent performance from Thorne. It is disappointing, then, that this unique thriller is unable to live up to its potential.
Andrew Murray
Saint Clare is released digitally on 21st July 2025.
Watch the trailer for Saint Clare here:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
RSS