The Unholy

The Unholy is a chilling supernatural horror film released in 2021 directed by Evan Spiliotopoulos, and features a talented cast headlined by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Cricket Brown, and William Sadler. While rooted in the horror genre, the film also explores themes of faith, redemption, and humanity's tendency to distort the truth when it plays into their desires and fears.

The plot kicks off with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, renowned for his roles in The Walking Dead and Supernatural, who delivers a gripping performance as Gerry Fenn, a washed-up journalist looking for a story to revive his career. Fenn stumbles upon a seemingly miraculous event in the bucolic setting of a small New England town, where he gets more than he bargained for. The unfathomable phenomenon surrounds a young, deaf girl named Alice, portrayed by the upcoming talent Cricket Brown. Alice claims to have been visited by the Virgin Mary and attains the sudden ability to hear and heal the sick. As word spreads, people from all around start pouring into the town seeking healing and witnessing the apparent divine miracles.

William Sadler enriches the cast with his seasoned acting as Father Hagan, a skeptical local priest, who seems to have his doubts about the legitimacy of events unfolding in their small community. It’s the ceaseless battle between belief and skepticism that forms one of the core tensions in the film. Morgan's character, Gerry Fenn, consumed by the idea of a story of a lifetime, relentlessly investigates the series of inexplicable events, unraveling a much darker reality that lurks beneath the surface.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of a small town, the film creates an intensifying atmosphere both through its cinematography and sound design. Detailed visuals and atmospheric landscapes are achieved by the exceptional work of the production design team, making the narrative more engaging and suspenseful. The eerie soundtrack unarguably intensifies the overall fear factor of the film.

What sets The Unholy apart from other films of the horror genre is the unique blend of mystery, horror, and theological thriller elements. The narrative deftly explores the complexity of human belief systems, the nature of miracles, and the thin line dividing faith and superstition. The film is based on James Herbert's acclaimed 1983 horror novel 'Shrine’, successfully encapsulating the essence of the novel’s frightening narrative and bringing its chilling words to life. While the film does come with its fair share of spooks and scares, it also presents an intriguing commentary on human nature's propensity for blind faith.

The Unholy expertly combines an engaging storyline with well-developed characters and clever plot twists to keep the audience on edge. It isn’t just the horror elements that catch the spectators' attention. The film also explores the depths to which people can go to exploit faith and miracles for their gains, ranging from a news article scoop to a potential trip to Vatican City.

Director Spiliotopoulos does an impressive job at maintaining the suspense throughout, revealing the horrifying truth gradually. He ties in elements of mystery, horror, and drama to create an interesting and exciting storyline that keeps the audience captivated. Yet, this is much more than just a horror movie with jump scares. On the deeper level, it deals with serious themes such as faith, redemption, and the human capacity to bend truth with fear and desire at its core.

Despite The Unholy being his directorial debut in a feature film, Spiliotopoulos displays a keen understanding of the genre, delivering a chilling atmospheric horror movie that offers more than just a derivative ghost story. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s waning journalist, Cricket Brown’s innocent yet enigmatic Alice, and William Sadler’s doubtful Father all contribute to a narrative that keeps you guessing until the very end.

While the film is certain to enthral fans of the horror genre, it also remains accessible to viewers unfamiliar or typically put-off by it. It's a rare movie that can accomplish this feat, but The Unholy might be just one of such exceptions. Offering unexpected twists and turns, a decent amount of scares, and a compelling story about the human desire for miracles, The Unholy delivers a unique take on supernatural horror and is a must-watch for both horror enthusiasts and general moviegoers alike.