What’s the scariest thing in the world? That’s perhaps the most subjective thing a person could possibly answer, as fear is deeply personal, and rooted in our own experience and traumas. For many, fear is based in grief and loss, or the unknown, or—related to all of those things—the fear of being faithful. Finding purpose in a higher power is both comforting and terrifying. It means subscribing to the unseen, and letting it guide you, and possibly undo you.
And what about the dark side of faith? Demons and possession and Satan? They’re perfect fodder for horror movies, and are wrapped into the fiber of A24’s upcoming film Saint Maud. The film, written and directed by Rose Glass, tells a chilling tale of faith and madness, centered on a hospice nurse named Maud (Morfydd Clark) who cannot save her new patient’s life, but is convinced she can save her soul.
To celebrate the release of Saint Maud, AMC will host a special programming event called “She Is Risen,” focused on female-fronted horror films—all with a cruel twist of fate. For four Fridays in a row, AMC Theaters will present special viewings of three classic horror tales, culminating with a special advanced screening of Saint Maud on April 1st.
“She Is Risen” kicks off on March 13 (which happens to be Friday the 13th) with a screening of the director’s cut of The Exorcist. The 1973 film was directed by William Friedkin and based on the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, who also penned the script. It follows the terrifying possession of a young girl named Regan (Linda Blair) by a demon named Pazuzu and the effect it has on her actress mother Chris (Ellen Burstyn) and two priests, Father Karras (Jason Miller) and Father Merrin (Max von Sydow).
Paramout Pictures/ via Giphy
The event continues on March 20 with screenings of Rosemary’s Baby. Written and directed by Roman Polanski, and based on a novel of the same name by Ira Levin, this 1968 horror classic follows Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy Woodhouse (John Cassavetes), a young couple who move into an extravagant and notorious New York City apartment building called the Bramford. Soon, Rosemary becomes pregnant, but she’s unsure if the father is Guy or Satan. You know, just girly things.
The third and final film before Saint Maud is James Wan’s 2013 horror film The Conjuring, inspired by real-life events. It centers on Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson), a husband and wife team of paranormal investigators who look into a strange haunting at the Perron family farmhouse in Rhode Island. The spirits attack the family’s five daughters, which triggers emotions for the Warrens, themselves the parents of a young daughter. The Conjuring screens on March 27.
The special advance screening of Saint Maud will take place on Friday, April 1, but this is no April Fools joke. The film, which made the festival circuit last year, already has a ton of buzz. We can’t wait to watch it join the ranks of the other films in “She Is Risen.” We have a feeling it’s a terrifying female-driven horror classic in the making.
You can find out more about “She Is Risen” and purchase tickets on the AMC Theaters website here.
