Saint Maud (2019)

Saint Maud is twice BAFTA-nominated, the winner of a British Independent Film, and has received five other awards. It stars Morfydd Clark (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Crawl) as “Maud” and Jennifer Ehle (John and the Hole, Fifty Shades Freed) as “Amanda”. Written and directed by newcomer Rose Glass, Glass weaves a chilling tale of suspense and obsession.

Maud (Clark), a young nurse living in a small Welshesque coastal village, chooses a path of fanatical Christian devotion to atone for past mistakes. She accepts a position caring for Amanda (Ehle), a terminally ill, retired dancer. Amanda was once famous for both her talent and her hedonistic lifestyle. Quickly Maud’s care turns obsessive, as she determines that she must save Amanda’s soul from eternal damnation. Slowly, Maud’s past unravels, revealed through violent visions and horror hallucinations of religious iconography and sexual inference. Maud’s guilt provides a greater understanding of the young woman’s turn to religion and initially inexplicable actions.

Filmed in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, the Saint Maud movie was produced by Escape Plan Productions, Film4, BFI Film Fund, and distributed by Sony Pictures.

Saint Maud is not a slasher film, but the story provides enough twists and turns, and a few well-placed gotchas and jumps, to keep horror audiences interested to the end.

Bad Samaritan (2018)

Bad Samaritan, written by Brandon Boyce and directed by Dean Devlin (The Librarians, Almost Paradise), hooks you with a familiar premise, as thieves break into a wealthy home only to encounter unspeakable horrors. Bad Samaritan is strangely compelling in a “can’t look away from a train wreck-type” of psychotic thriller-horror movie. It proves to be genuinely entertaining. 

The 10th, and arguably the best, “Dr. Who,” Scottish-born actor David Tennant, portrays Sado-masochistic psychopath millionaire, “Cale Erendreich.” The villainous role is a different sort for Tennant, but it’s well within his extraordinary acting range. Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy, Mortal Engines) plays “Sean Falco,” a talented but misguided photographer, who envisions himself as a stereotypical struggling artist. His bi-continental failure justifies both his lack of aspirations and his criminal behavior. And, his partner in petty crime “Derek Sandoval,” is played by Carlito Olivero (Blood Heist).

Boyce, whose script credits include Apt Pupil (1998) and Venom (2005), creates a familiar but riveting horror story that reveals the possibility of the evils of wealth and power. Watch this true psychotic thriller movie in the dark, but don’t forget the popcorn.