10 Best Horror Movie Performances Of 2024 So Far

4. Sydney Sweeney - Immaculate

the substance demi moore
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With roles in The White Lotus, Euphoria, and Madame Web, Sydney Sweeney has become one of the most sought-after stars on both the big and small screen. However, it's her starring performance in Immaculate that really shows what she's capable of.

The film follows devout novice nun Cecilia (Sweney) as she arrives at a remote convent in the Italian countryside. Not long after her arrival, Cecilia discovers she's pregnant. Without any explanation of how this could have happened, the convent believes it to be a divine miracle. But when Cecilia starts to witness strange happenings, it becomes clear there's something far more insidious at play.

By exploring timely themes of bodily autonomy, Immaculate succeeds in putting a refreshing new spin on familiar genre tropes. Alongside its gripping central mystery which gradually winds the tension until a bombastic finale, it's Sweney's acting that makes the flick work so well.

Carrying most of the scenes on her own shoulders, Sweney's expressiveness makes it easy for audiences to sympathise with her nightmarish ordeal - and nowhere was her talent better exemplified than in Immaculate's intense finale.

Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.