[SXSW ’23] ‘Chronicles of a Wandering Saint’ review: Funny and thoughtful look at religion and sainthood

Chronicles of a Wandering Saint examines self-worth, religion, and the lengths people will go to in order to be recognized as more pious than others. Rita (Monica Villa) is in constant competition with the other women in her church group to see who is the most saintly. Tired of being overlooked, she decides to stage a miracle that will ensure she is the most admired woman in town. She soon learns that the road to sainthood is not as glamorous as she thought.

Despite the silly premise, writer-director Tomas Gomez relies on more than just comedy. Along with commenting on religion, the film also builds a interesting character in Rita. Her need to be acknowledged by the community sees her change for someone who only cares for the adulation of everyone, to a person who recognizes the importance of what one person thinks. It is a well written character arc that will keep audiences engaged. Unfortunately, she is the only one who sees any sort of development

This mix of comedy and drama works perfectly as one never overshadows the other. Chronicles of a Wandering Saint is much more of a serious drama and only uses the comedy to keep things from getting to heavy. A twist about halfway sees a tonal change that will make Rita and her story that much more interesting. Even better, it is completely unexpected.

As humorous as it is, the first act does take a while to get going. While this can be chalked up to the movie finding its footing, there is not doubting that things do not become truly interesting until the second act begins. By the time Chronicles of a Wandering Saint is over, it is able to tie everything together in an enjoyable and thoughtful story.

SXSW takes place from March 10 – March 19