Synopsis
The Unholy is an American supernatural horror film that was released in 2021. It was written and directed by Evan Spiliotopoulos, making his directorial debut. The screenplay draws from a combination of religious horror and investigative mystery, inspired by James Herbert’s book Shrine. The story takes place in a small town in New England with a deeply rooted religious culture and its narrative focuses on purported miracles which may mask something more ominous beneath.
The main character is Gerry Fenn, portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan—a disgraced journalist infamous for fabricating stories to revive his career. While trying to investigate a case of suspected animal mutilation, Gerry encounters Alice, a deaf-mute girl played by Cricket Brown. With the help of the ancient curse linked to a doll she kept buried, Alice regains her ability to hear and speak. Subsequently, she claims miraculous visions from the Virgin Mary have blessed her with these newfound abilities.
Alice’s miraculous transformation spreads like wildfire, bringing pilgrims and media attention from all over the country. As Alice continues to perform what seem to be healing miracles, she acquires spiritual followers and catches the eye of The Vatican. She is lauded as a miracle of god’s love in action which fuels a burgeoning religious movement.
However, with growing pleasure comes scrutiny. Gerry along Dr Natalie Gates (Katie Aselton) begins peeling back the layers concerning the secrets behind Alice’s “visions.” Spooky and horrific happenings such as ghostly sightings, violent deaths around town, and more disturbing behavior from Alice during her ‘visions’ start to emerge. Father Hagan (William Sadler) who assumes guardianship of Alice starts suspecting that where there are miracles there also lurks a miasma of sinister forces.
The further he digs, Gerry uncovers dark history surrounding Mary Elnor – a woman condemned for witchcraft in the 1800s at the very site where Alice had her vision. Claiming to be the Virgin Mary, Mary’s spirit returned not seeking believers but vengeance on the Church that branded her a foe. Through Alice, Gelnor seeks to utilize miracles to amass devotees before revealing her true demonic self.
In the final showdown of a public gathering, Alice—controlled by Mary Elnor— engages in combat with Gerry and some local clergy members. Despite numerous casualties and an intense examination of interpersonal relationships—and remaining diaphanous through much of the work—a sacrificial act ultimately manages to rid the entity of influence forever.
Cast & Crew
Director:
Evan Spiliotopoulos turns to directing for the first time with The Unholy after establishing his career as a screenwriter on films such as Beauty and the Beast (2017) or The Huntsman: Winters War (2016). His focus as a director is tension building alongside balancing holy symbols with otherworldly terror.
Screenplay:
Evan Spiliotopoulos wrote this particular script based on James Herbert’s horror novel Shrine.
Producers:
Sam Raimi – Horror enthusiasts are likely already familiar with Sam Raimi’s work from The Evil Dead franchise, He is producer by bringing his infectious brand of horror story suspense into the picture.
Rob Tapert – Longtime partner of Sam Raimi.
Evan Spiliotopoulos – Alongside producingthe film, he also served as its writer and director.
Main Cast:
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Gerry Fenn – A journalist prone to cynicism who embodies an unexpected savior role in the story.
Cricket Brown as Alice – Portrayed by younger actress Brown, she seasoned into a youthful devotee imbibed to serve whom her peers beholden aimed towards unquestioning adulation with acute susceptibility in their charge formidable yet unlighted beyond that appeared divine.
William Sadler as Father Hagan – Alice’s guardian and one of the earliest individuals with a hunch that things are not what they seem.
Katie Aselton as Dr. Natalie Gates – A physician practicing in the area and somewhat of a skeptical supporter to Gerry.
Cary Elwes as Bishop Gyles – He is an agent of the Catholic Church assigned to investigate Alice’s miracles.
Diogo Morgado as Monsignor Delgarde – A complicated Vatican official.
Marina Mazepa as Mary Elnor – The spirit masquerading as the Virgin Mary who is actually diabolical in nature.
Cinematography:
Craig Wrobleski’s lighting silently conveys a certain spookiness that defines New England, accentuated through horror cinematography employing low key lighting, which sets a foreboding tone for rural dread.
Editing:
Jake York’s editing contributes to maintaining balance in film rhythm, helping sustain momentum throughout intense action sequences.
Music:
The score’s emphasis on horror elements enhances the film’s arcane fright through supernatural themes with spellbinding sounds. Joseph Bishara, famous for his exceptional work on The Conjuring series, composed The Unholy’s score alongside other masters such as Mark Korven.
Reception
While the movie was released to wide audiences around the world, it fails to impress many critics looking at its rooted ideals drawing from commonplace religious terror tropes paired unpredictably cliché gadgets done time and again designed hand scares. The characters remained flat—deep ideas behind empty frameworks—ultimately resulting in lack actual spine to root fear-Based provocation within dragging story premise laden overable unnecessarily complex conflate knitted together strands vis-Aà-vis Under-develop protagonist background background expositions notwithstanding.
As for criticism, Rotten Tomatoes reported a low score, particularly noting how it was not scary and relied on clichés. On the other hand, some fans appreciated the film’s atmospheric aesthetic. Furthermore, Morgan’s portrayal of Gerry lent charm and a certain level of gravity to the role.
Although The Unholy received negative reviews from critics, it still garnered a modest audience among fans of religious horror films. Some viewers considered themes like exploitation, dangers of blind faith, and corruption within religion to be timely and pertinent even if they were executed without much subtlety.
The movie had only moderate success at the box office due to its release date during the pandemic; however because it was one of very few horror movies released in theaters at that time, it was able to recoup its budget and gain prominence on streaming services.
Conclusion
Labeled as supernatural horror, The Unholy depicts an ongoing struggle between faith and deceit. The film uses false miracles and the manipulation of belief as tools to portray seduction by spiritual authority—and ultimately dives into the concealed peril behind symbols deemed divine.
“Unholy,” centered on the “religious horror” subgenre, may not be groundbreaking. However, it offers enough suspense, thematic depth, and spectacular visuals to please genre enthusiasts. A literary religious horror tale would not be complete without fiery tension, especially of a visual kind. Furthermore, the film’s sights and sounds serve to immerse viewers in its world. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s add credence to the story as well.
While The Unholy may not achieve critical acclaim anytime soon, Mark Evan Spiliotopoulos’s directorial debut suggests an author who knows how to structure a horror story in its various components. For those pondering about matters of faith wrapped in sinister detailing, nightmares begin while watching The Unholy. It should be warning enough that these are tried and tested tropes tapped into pseudo-original work—but still offer something new inside them.
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