Consecration does not take a long time to clue the audience in on how much it is going to throw at them. Within the first ten minutes, there is a nun with a gun, talk of miracles, and hints of folk horror. The plot follows Grace (Jena Malone) who leaves for Scotland after finding out her brother has died suspiciously. Before long she becomes involved in a centuries old secret that involves the church, good versus evil, and her own past.
One of the best things about the horror genre is how it has stubbornly stuck to 90 minute runtimes. Where others strive for two hours – or longer – scary movies have remained around an hour and a half. This prevents audiences from being worn down by stories that go on longer than they need to. Consecration is a rare example of the opposite.
The script simply has too much going on for one hour and thirty minutes. This becomes frustrating as a new element is introduced with each scene change. As Consecration continues, there are talks of the Crusades and a backstory involving being a prisoner, kidnapping, and amnesia. Things get even wilder in the finale as supernatural aspects are introduced along with a number of twists.
What makes this more disappointing is how well shot Consecration is. The Scottish backdrop looks as beautiful as expected, but is is director Christopher Smith’s use of lighting and camera angles that stand out. Mirrors and reflections are cleverly used and there are a number of great looking shots with one person standing in the foreground and someone else blurred in the back. It adds to the eerie atmosphere and gets across the idea that no one can be trusted.
This results in a movie that will constantly have viewers flip-flopping. Things will move from a gorgeous shot to a confusing new plot point in the space of seconds. It is a disorienting watch that is impossible to get fully engaged with. Consecration is nice to look at and has decent if repetitive scares. Malone gives a spirited performance, but there is little else of note.
Consecration opens exclusively in theaters February 10
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