Saint Maud presents itself as a story of the darkest depths of loneliness and what this can really do to a person such as our beloved Maud. Sent to be a carer for a dancer and choreographer who is slowly dying from lymphoma, Maud tries to save her, but ultimately this is not the fate her God has decided for her.
Rose Glass captures the trauma that Maud has faced wonderfully on screen – or at least, as wonderfully as you can capture a true tragedy. As a character, Maud is undeniably lost. She wants to feel love, to feel wanted and ultimately, she wantsto tackle her demons. As Maud went through every motion, it seemed to be Glass’ intention that the audience felt it with her. I did, and Rose Glass created a wonderful piece of art with Saint Maud.
If more details had been revealed about Maud’s dark past, the exegesis of the narrative could have been entirely different. Which is what helps to make Saint Maud quite beautiful – the puzzle pieces of Maud’s backstory leave her fate entirely open to various interpretations from its viewers.
As her directorial debut, Rose Glass has presented us with an incredibly strong female-fronted horror film. I just hope that Glass’ brings us a longer feature next time.
