Mitzi Peirone's "Saint Clare": A Stylish Thriller with Room for Narrative Improvement

In her second feature, “Saint Clare,” director Mitzi Peirone takes a step towards improving on the style-centred approach of her debut film, “Braid.” With Guinevere Turner’s collaboration in adapting Don Roff’s 2021 novel “Clare at Sixteen,” the film conveys a greater sense of narrative structure. Yet, it is still a concoction of multiple genres – quasi-slasher, romantic comedy, mystery, and revenge fantasy. While the aesthetics are compelling, the storytelling and characterizations often falter, making it a mixed bag for critics.

Bella Thorne plays the lead character, Clare Bleecker, an enigmatic young woman who possesses a dark secret: she is a sort-of serial killer, targeting only predators in her small town which has been plagued by mysterious disappearances. Despite the novel being described as a dark teen horror comedy akin to “Heathers,” Peirone opts for a less comedic, more enigmatic tone, creating an unsettled mixture of genres.

The film contains a myriad of characters and plot threads complicating the narrative. Clare becomes a quasi-detective, suspecting questionable behavior among her classmates and community, while her own actions attract attention from both her grandmother (Rebecca De Mornay) and a police detective (Ryan Philippe). Add to this layered plot an element of potential sex trafficking, a repetitive comedic ghost, and a school production, and the film starts feeling cluttered.

Peirone's film suffers from a lack of narrative clarity, becoming overly reliant on visual effects and disconnected sequences. The character of Clare, too, suffers from inconsistent characterization as the film vacillates between presenting her as a confident avenger and a dangerous, deluded individual. However, Thorne’s performance injects some energy into the movie, despite the lack of a rounded character arc.

The film showcases some striking visual and audio elements, which, even though they don’t always add to the overall tension, demonstrate a unique directorial vision. But Peirone’s visual inspiration doesn't fully compensate for the haphazard storytelling and unresolved thematic elements.

Like Peirone's previous film, “Saint Clare” thrives on surface-level features, struggling to delve deeper into the psychology of its characters and the implications of its plot. Despite its intriguing premise, the film's ultimate impact is somewhat diminished by its lack of narrative focus and resolution. "Saint Clare" will be available in U.S. theaters, on demand, and on digital platforms from July 18.