Clare Bleecker (Bella Thorne) seems like an ordinary high school student. Living with her grandmother Gigi (Rebecca De Mornay) following the death of her parents, Clare has a small circle of close friends and appears to be a law-abiding Catholic girl. Unbeknownst to those around her, she hears voices in her head that compel her to murder those with ill intentions and her latest kill puts her on a dark and dangerous path. Diving deep into the underbelly of the community around her, Clare turns investigator in a bid to solve the cases of the town’s disappearing women.
‘Saint Clare’ from director Mitzi Peirone (‘Braid’) takes the familiar horror trope of the good Samaritan turned killer in the name of justice. In the film’s opening Clare targets her next victim, and it doesn’t take long before the popular TV series ‘Dexter’ is brought to mind. Like Dexter Morgan, Clare believes herself to be operating by a code that justifies her actions. She also sees the ghost of one of her victims, Bob (Frank Whaley), who acts as her conscience in much the same way that Dexter’s late father did to him.
Clare’s secret threatens to come out once she starts investigating the cases of women going missing in her town. Police detective Rich Timmons (Ryan Phillippe) starts to suspect that the students at Clare’s school might be involved, so Clare decides to run her own investigation in parallel. She quickly discovers a deep tangled web, that she has to unpick in order to find out who is behind the disappearances. At this point the film really switches from horror to mystery as Clare moves from one peer to the next trying to find out what’s going on.
Bella Thorne gives a strong performance in the central role of Clare. She has to be believable as a determined killer and a regular teenager, and she manages to find the right balance. Ryan Phillippe offers solid support as the police detective trying to solve the case while Rebecca De Mornay brings gravitas in a sadly far too small role as Clare’s grandmother. There’s a vibrant young supporting cast that brings a Gen-Z energy to the mix too.
‘Saint Clare’ is an enjoyable horror thriller even if it does so closely resemble the likes of ‘Dexter’. The mystery at the centre takes a bit of figuring out and the payoff is worth the wait. While the premise may not be wholly original, and the religious aspect of the film is underplayed, it’s still a solid watch. The ending leaves things open for Clare to return in the future and fans of Thorne will likely love seeing the actor in a different kind of role.
Cast: Bella Thorne, Rebecca De Mornay, Ryan Phillippe, Frank Whaley, Bart Johnson Director: Mitzi Peirone Writers: Mitzi Peirone, Don Ruff & Guinevere Turner Certificate: TBC Duration: 92 mins Released by: 101 Films Release date: 25th August 2024 (FrightFest) 21st July 2025 (Digital)
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