Spoiler Alert: 'Consecration' is a Big Ol' Horror Movie Mess
Even trying to spoil Consecration by discussing what happens at the end is nearly impossible because the movie is such a hot mess.
Consecration (2023)
Directed by Christopher Smith
Written by Christopher Smith
Starring Jena Malone, Danny Huston, Janet Suzman
Release Date February 10th, 2023
Published February 13th, 2023
Consecration follows the slowly cracking psyche of a woman who may or may not be the vessel of an ancient demon. Jena Malone stars as Grace, a boring eye doctor living a boring life in London. Grace's life and comfort is upended when she's told that her younger brother, a Priest, has died. Not only is he dead, he murdered another fellow Priest before taking his own life. The Nuns in the Scottish abbey where Grace's brother lived and work appear convinced that he was possessed by a demon who caused him to commit murder and take his own life.
Naturally, Grace must investigate over the objection of Mother Superior (Janet Suzman) and the lead detective on the case, DCI Harris (Thoren Ferguson), but with the aid of a Vatican based Priest, Father Romero (Danny Huston), who is also seeking the truth about what happened. Or is he? That bit of snark is aimed at the fact that Consecration isn't a great movie. It's often a quite convoluted mess that at once frames the church as the villains and potentially the heroes. It's perhaps intended to have a twist but I am honestly unsure.
With this spoiler alert article we will examine the characters and see if we can make sense of the odd ending of Consecration and maybe find where this failed film could have worked. From here on, spoilers for Consecration. I don't recommend the movie but you might prefer seeing it before having the characters and plot ruined. Thus, you've been warned. From here on out, spoilers for the characters and story of Consecration...
Who is Grace? Jena Malone's Grace lives a comfortable if boring life as an eye doctor in London. Grace was an adopted child, alongside her brother, and grew up in a deeply traumatic broken home. Grace's father was crazed and abusive. Dad thought his daughter was some kind of demon and that stopping her from destroying the world started with him keeping her captive. This leads to him murdering Grace's mother before he's nearly killed himself while trying to kill Grace.
In reality, Dad was right. Grace is, in fact, a demon in human form. She doesn't know it yet, but Grace is a powerful demon who travels through time to kill who needs to be killed to protect her secret and secure Grace's future for whatever evil scheme is supposed to play out. Grace's brother died when an older Priest figured out that killing Grace was the only way to stop the demon inside her and was endeavoring to kill Grace. Instead, the brother killed the Priest and to show the demon that she wasn't in charge, he killed himself.
I think that's what happened. Again, Consecration is a deeply confused movie that seems to shift motivations while searching for the next creepy visual element. Grace figures out that she is the demon just as she's about to surrender to Father Romero who wants to entomb Grace and the demon under the newly consecrated church. Grace survives, murders several people, including Father Romero, and pretends to kill herself to throw off DCI Harris. In reality, she's an unstoppable evil demon who can survive anything and kill anyone she chooses.
The film ends when Mother Superior stops sending minions to try and kill Grace and takes matters into her own hands. Showing up outside of Grace's office, Mother Superior pulls a gun on Grace only to then be struck and killed by a cab. Inside the cab is an angel bobblehead which is viewed just as Grace talks about having had a guardian angel since she was a kid. The Guardian Angel is Grace herself as a time traveling demon Nun who leads Mother Superior into the street to be hit by the cab.
I think. Again, Consecration is highly convoluted, as you can sense from that description. I think Grace is a demon. I know we see Grace, in demon form, dressed as a Nun, traveling back in time to witness the murder of the Priest, witness her brother's death, she is responsible for saving herself from her father when he tries to murder her as a child. She's there to stab a Nun who tries to kill Grace. And, we see all of the strange, inexplicable and violent deaths that happen in front of Grace, that Grace herself commits the acts, invisibly.
Who is Father Romero? Father Romero, as played by famed bad guy character actor Danny Huston, is a bit of a red herring. Because the character is played by Danny Huston, famous for being a bad guy in dozens of movies before this, we assume he has ulterior motives and is prepared to kill to protect the church. Whether or not what he does is righteous or not, I guess, is meant to be subjective but that is quite dubious. Is the church good or evil? Father Romero does try to trick Grace into entombing herself for eternity but is that a good thing because Grace is really a demon? I don't know, the church isn't played as the heroes. Rather, Father Romero and Mother Superior are portrayed as quite sinister.
The rooting interest in Consecration is non-existent. Grace appears to be an innocent woman caught up in a church conspiracy to cover up her brother's death. But, we see that Grace is actually a time traveling demon who commits various murders. But, but, Grace is killing members of the church who may or may not have tried to kill her when she was a child and were conspiring to kill her as an adult. But, but, but Grace is a demon so the church should kill her right? Or is she the victim of the church and thus taking a righteous and necessary vengeance?
If that doesn't illustrate what a confusing mess Consecration is, I don't know how else to convince you. Bottom line, maybe you can make sense of this movie in ways I can't. I did watch and pay attention, for the most part. I did lose interest late in the second act but that's only because the movie wasn't holding my attention. I didn't get on my phone but my mind wandered a little and it's possible I missed something that clears up the murky mess of this plot. If that is the case, please let me know in the comments.
Find my archive of more than 20 years and nearly 2000 movie reviews at SeanattheMovies.blogspot.com. Find my modern review archive on my Vocal Profile, linked here. Follow me on Twitter at PodcastSean. Follow the archive blog on Twitter at SeanattheMovies. Listen to me talk about movies on the Everyone's a Critic Movie Review Podcast. If you've enjoyed what you have read, consider subscribing to my work here on Vocal. If you'd like to support my writing you can do so by making a monthly pledge or by leaving a one time tip. Thanks!
About the Creator
Sean Patrick
Hello, my name is Sean Patrick He/Him, and I am a film critic and podcast host for the I Hate Critics Movie Review Podcast I am a voting member of the Critics Choice Association, the group behind the annual Critics Choice Awards.
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Comments (1)
So, I just googled "was Grace really bad" because I, too, was confused at the end of the movie, and came across your blog. I have always been a huge horror fan. Anyways, I really can't understand if she was actually a demon or an angel, or like you said, a victim of the church, but whatever she is, she really did not seem evil. The father, while in jail, said he knew she was a demon when she came back and saved his life while she was praying for his safe return. I don't know about you, but I haven't heard of demons saving lives. She also healed the almost-blind woman. Everyone who she did kill were people trying to kill her first, it wasn't like she was targeting innocent people. The brother, before he killed himself, even told her "Grace, you're good and I knew you would come to save me." It seemed like the church targeted anyone who felt Grace was not evil. The movie wasn't the worst, but it did leave you with a lot of questions at the end.