The True Terror of SAINT MAUD

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This show celebrates Ryan's love for film, games, art and entertainment through personal retrospective reviews that aims to explore what made them so good.
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[@RyanHollinger]

*Hey! I'm now streaming games on Twitch if you like voice: **www.twitch.tv/horrorhollinger* Also, what's the best RELIGION IN HORROR media? ... Film, books, TV, you name it!

[@arcadia7459]

IMO, the views of the catholic church in Head Full of Ghosts

[@jpvielleux]

I was here and posted on Ryan's channel again!

[@cupcakehips9236]

Cristianety, and the depektion off hell / heaven in creepypasta's. That is something that always freak me out. Even tho I am not religious 🤣

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

Day whatever of my requests for As Above, So Below (2014) & Mr. Jones (2013). The former of which does include some religion aspects to it with the cult people in the catacombs!

[@princeapoopoo5787]

Finally, I can hear you "Hoiever" live.

[@pajamapantsjack5874]

What disturbs me most is her screaming as she burns alive but in her head she isn't. That's freaky

[@henrintibu]

I thought her psychosis just ended, and she realized the mistake... The way you put it is actually better for her, as she is not suffering (I hope). Holy shit anyway

[@sashamikhail7375]

I've heard a good number of stories relating to traumatic events where people say "... then I heard screaming and I realized it was coming from me"

[@yonasshinigami4956]

@@sashamikhail7375 I have a lot of sleeping issues wich intensify under Stress, and during the End of High School I had Sleep paralysis a few times. In those moments I could not move or speak, but my body still could. One of the times (I did not paniced because I already were used to it) I realized that I was screaming for help even tough I did not and did not want to. Like I was not but my body was. It was such a wierd experience. Probably not the same but damn. Ps. I hope that makes sense, it is very hard to describe

[@esyphillis101]

@@yonasshinigami4956 It sounds like extreme trauma and dissociation. Similar to schizophrenia. Do/did you happen to have sleepwalking issues too?

[@lordkanti8260]

@@sashamikhail7375 I once fell from a 2 story wall and landed hard. I remember hearing myself yell in pain but consciously didn’t feel the pain nor the yell. Only until seconds later did my perception shift back to the present sensation.

[@lizlake3676]

I think its fascinating, as a Catholic, that we never see Maud attend Mass, take the Eucharist, or go to confession, the later you'd think she'd be all over. My interpretation is that she never actually went through the process of officially becoming Catholic, which can take anywhere from 6 months to several years depending on the person, she just chose Catholicism to fixate on because of its imagery, which resonated with her repressed sexuality and desire to punish herself.

[@eileensnow6153]

Wow, that was extremely well-put!

[@RollerOfEyes]

Ew the Catholic cult

[@lizlake3676]

@Eileen Snow thank you!

[@sillylittlesheepjax6009]

@@RollerOfEyes stfu

[@mariahslittlelamb8049]

@@lizlake3676 Repressed sexuality?

[@Blazenix1]

William Blake's paintings is a really interesting choice. He believed he could see angels and demons. Even describing angels in detail sitting in trees. I think this was done on purpose if not a good coincidence.

[@slycam47]

Agreed, even some of the background noise from the tv and what they say on the tv in some of the early scenes is giving reason and side commentary on the scene itself. If that makes sense

[@deirdrejones5974]

My friend did his Masters thesis on William Blake’s angels, artworks and literature. He seemed to experience mania and hallucinations. Angelic conversations were real to him.

[@Mr_Cinematic]

Go watch my saint maud review BRAH

[@Blazenix1]

@@deirdrejones5974 William Blake is a very interesting person to research. I think if he were alive today he'd be diagnosed as schizophrenic, though I'm not sure about that.

[@gellasztomania1643]

@@Blazenix1 the most interesting and fascinatimg thing about Blake (for me at least) is how deeply human he was - judging from his works and recollections of his contemporaries, I imagine him as a kind, gentle and religious soul who happened to be kinda the off the rails genius type.

[@TheFanalysisChannel]

An interesting detail I found out about one of the scenes you mentioned... In the scene where see hears God through the cockroach, the voice is actually pitched down audio of Morfydd Clark (actress playing Maud) speaking Welsh. It's such a discrete detail but it really adds to the idea that every manifestation of Maud's beliefs is just an extension to her own delusions.

[@screambluemurder101]

Makes sense. God is Welsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@burntgrahamcracker2866]

@@screambluemurder101 I think god knows how to use the letter y in a word and not sprinkle it everywhere like a shotgun blast

[@rickc2102]

@@screambluemurder101 Nah, God is Cornish.

[@screambluemurder101]

@@rickc2102 Joe Cornish?

[@BellaSwan18]

I HAD A FEELING IT WAS HER!!!!!! Ahhhhhh it’s such a good detail

[@michaelmarbach6250]

The ending is a jumpscare that actually sticks with you.

[@john_blues]

Nor really, to me. By then it was clear what she was seeing was different than what was real. Maybe it would have been better without the people dropping to their knees, which was an obvious delusion.

[@dbgreene9020]

Totally

[@lilo19951995]

100%. Terrifying

[@_Digishade_]

@@john_blues Definitely agreed. I liked that it was basically an exclamation point that "Ah, Maud really *is* delusional," when everyone drops to their knees. In that light, the actual results of her self-immolation is almost beside the point, as if to say "well yeah, of course." I liked that it was included though, if just to show that even despite her delusions, the stark reality was still apparent.

[@john_blues]

@@_Digishade_ I hear that. It almost seems too like the director wanted to make sure there was absolutely no ambiguity at the end.

[@paulneiland5023]

The Joan of arc thing is brilliant considering the ending

[@RyanHollinger]

Yup, along with the fact that Joan of Arc was considered by revisionists to have suffered heavy mental illness

[@cookie1157]

Je suis la fillle en feu...

[@steweygrrr]

@@RyanHollinger Revisionist or realist? Which is more likely, an all seeing, all knowing, all loving God, one of a great many, that does bugger all and provides no evidence whatsoever of its existence, again like one of many, or something that has been proven to exist? I don't think its fair to call it revisionism in this case.

[@LoZander]

Now she knows how Joan or Arc felt, as the flames rose to her roman nose and her walkman started to melt.

[@curranfrank2854]

@@RyanHollinger There doesn't actually seem to be a consensus on why she had visions, although she was noted as being pretty astute even at the end of her life, which makes "heavy mental illness" seem less likely. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc#Visions I'm not saying they were from God or anything, my personal belief is that IF God exists they're pretty impersonal, but it's not a closed case and some of the "answers" suggested by revisionists (or realists, pick your preferred term), like that she suffered from migraines, are a bit absurd.

[@mdot2597]

When the girl went to Maud's apartment towards the end of the movie, I was genuinely nervous for her being around crazy ass Maud lol

[@jyushiken4517]

Bruh same !! I just kept thinking “omg you dumb woman just stop talking and get tf out” 😭😭💀

[@looloon4942]

omgggg sameeee

[@samuelbrandon4832]

It reminded me a lot of the scene near the end of joker, where Arthur kills his coworker with scissors. Just the same tone; pretty different scenes thematically

[@moonlily1]

I was too. I was like, run, Joy! GTF out!

[@vousunfilm4629]

i thought what was gonna happen was, she was gonna kill her, take her uniform, go to the hospital where amanda resides and then kill her, like what happened in the opening scene. I thought that was finally gonna happen lol

[@inferiorinferno8859]

Personally, I feel like Saint Maud was less of a take on religion, but more of a take on religious delusions a psychosis can bring along. A psychotic depression can also be a result of PTSD, which the dying patient might have triggered. A lot of psychotic delusions tend to be related to religion, and whilst some people were religious prior to their psychosis, there are also plenty of atheists who end up with religious delusions so it is hard to discern if a person becoming religious in the face of trauma, is something that actually helps them recover, or wether it is a sign of sickness that comes from the trauma.

[@aklhj]

Mate, in the faith, there isn't really a clause that goes like delusional = very religious, I agree with that. Delusions are often psychotic, introduced through by, as you said, trauma. It's just her really losing her marbles throughout the movie and turning to Christ to "fix" her, so to speak, to cope with a job that deals with life and death. It shows human fallibility, both as a mental and physical being. Even theology can't really tell what really happens before life and after death. Then again, theology would tell that living in faith is not completely literal, no. It's not all "signs from God," it's quite cringy as a Catholic not gonna lie - we aren't taught to be crazy. God is a fair, but non-physical being, though yes, how we humans interpret it, that's where it becomes raw.

[@RRS_027]

@@aklhj Psychology explains that religion boils down to humans seeking answers and meaning to everything, being the solution to the despair and helplessness that comes with learning the world is just chaotic and no one is in the driver's seat. Not everyone can accept or handle this, so we turn to those who give us answers, no matter how ludicrous they are(e.g. conspiracies); we create God, who is meant to take care of our helplessness as a father figure not only to the individual, but the entire world. The fact is the people/world need religion, they need to have a sense of control. There is this one quote that I like that uses conspiracy theories as an example, but applies to any belief system: "Yes, there is a conspiracy, indeed there are a great number of conspiracies, all tripping each other up... the main thing that I learned about conspiracy theories is that conspiracy theorists actually believe in the conspiracy because that is more comforting. The truth of the world is that it is chaotic. The truth is, that it is not the Jewish banking conspiracy, or the grey aliens, or the twelve-foot reptiloids from another dimension that are in control, the truth is far more frightening: no-one is in control, the world is rudderless[aimless]."

[@prog7141]

@@RRS_027 As a non religious person I always find it funny when people say we live in a completely chaotic with nothing in control as a given, as if that’s currently provable. The workings of the universe is still highly ambiguous from a human perspective

[@gremlinchemist3621]

@@prog7141 The world is chaotic. It's chaos that is schematic, yet chaos nonetheless. Just look at this current pandemic: It was a complete wildcard that no one could have expected. A year ago in Europe the biggest news were about Trump toiling around while the British were still trying to figure out how the whole brexit thing is even going to be accomplished while countries are taking ineffective actions against the climate change. Now we are getting civil rights trampled while governments are taking ever increasingly authoritarian steps to ensure that no one moves out of their homes.

[@silenthero2795]

@@gremlinchemist3621 If you really think that the world is indeed chaotic then there would be no distinction between good and evil. It's just plain randomness. A stray dog dying in a street isn't any more significant than a toddler being killed. Hitler killing millions of Jews isn't any more abhorrent than an exterminator killing an ant colony. Civil rights have no meaning and basis whatsoever in a chaotic world so why even fight for them? If there are indeed morally good and evil out there, it means that the world isn't all that chaotic.

[@IamSpacedad]

The pain of immolation (one of the most painful ways to die) shocked her out of her delusions to reality just briefly at the end.

[@MFLimited]

It certainly seems to. But it may not have.

[@dph4n7om]

I think the shot that shows her burning was more to show the audience the extent of her delusion. I don't think she ever realized she was on fire.

[@jarelllevingston7882]

@@dph4n7omkind of hard not to. No one can be that far gone

[@storytellermich6984]

Catholicism has a fetish for suffering. The more terrifying idea is she was right. She really did pull a miracle but God didn't think she suffered enough quite yet....

[@GhostHack21]

Don’t know if anyone has said this already, but the actress who plays Maud is Welsh and when she hears God speak he is speaking in Welsh.

[@bath0202]

Also the voice of god is the same actress just tone dropped

[@danielasarmiento3101]

@@bath0202 that actually makes the her delusion even more terrifying

[@Jill4ChrisRedfeild]

I'm Wlesh and heard the word "mawr" for "large" an dwas like WAIT A SECOND WAS THAT WELSH? I'm actually psyched that they choose Welsh as God's language just because to non speakers it does sound very otherworldly I suppose!

[@ReettaJ]

This is such a cool detail.

[@whatwhatwhat2939]

@@Jill4ChrisRedfeild that shit sounded scary as hell, I thought she was talking to the devil bc it seemed like she was going through a possession

[@torque8899]

Mauds crippling loneliness was portrayed perfectly. She’s so wrapped up in her delusions for so long that when she tries to reconnect with normal humans it just goes so horribly wrong as she’s forgotten how to interact and be human instead of divine.

[@joseffrhys7277]

As a Welsh person, seeing this in a almost empty cinema, the scene where God talks really stuck with me 😅

[@caldw615]

Something about God speaking Welsh just sort of caught me off guard a bit and made me laugh a little. Yes it's supposed to be a serious scene but it wasn't something I expected. I guess they didn't want him to speak English incase it sounded odd to the mostly English speaking audience but they also didn't want God to speak Latin as it's cliché so they went with Welsh so it sounded different to English speakers still.

[@joseffrhys7277]

@@caldw615 Yeah I was surprised it wasn't Latin. I'm not fluent in Welsh but can speak it somewhat so it was just kinda surreal hearing it in the context

[@gota7738]

@@caldw615 What catches me out is how informal the welsh is rather than what you'd find in a welsh bible. I don't know if that was intentional but it makes it surreal to watch.

[@caldw615]

@@gota7738 The more I think about it perhaps it's supposed to be God/her hallucination speaking to Maud in her native tongue if she maybe learned both Welsh and English in near equal frequency or primarily Welsh as a child. Might explain why it was more informal rather than olden traditional ways of speaking. Again it's probably just so it sounds different and ethereal to the viewers who will primarily understand English but not Welsh. If Maud was Polish he may have spoke Polish to her instead. Again the movie kinda hints everything is just in her head as she has a slow mental breakdown so it would make sense for her hallucinations to draw out a language/way of speaking still within her mind rather than it talking in a language she had never hesed before.

[@anaversary-]

@@caldw615 Maud speaks Welsh. Within her delusion she was speaking to herself.

[@jvondd]

What I thought was interesting was how Maud's jealousy is similar to the jealousy portrayed by the god of the Bible. She wanted to be Amanda's only source of joy and comfort and really couldn't handle the idea that her love and care wasn't everything Amanda wanted or needed. Maud treated Amanda having a relationship with Carol like a violation of the first commandment, and it was unsettling to see how upset Maud became when she noticed that Amanda didn't need her to feel happy. After we watched it, my wife made a good point when addressing the scene where Maud comes to pray for Amanda's salvation. The first thing Amanda does is apologize to Maud for being mean to her, and Maud tells her that it's alright because the Lord forgives her. Amanda looks a bit insulted because she wasn't asking for absolution from Jesus; she wanted to tell Maud she was sorry because she felt badly for how she treated her, and if anything, she would have preferred forgiveness from Maud. The movie doesn't spell it out, but I think it's safe to say that despite the fact that Amanda isn't a nice person, her morality is actually superior to Maud's because she took responsibility for her own transgression and wasn't hoping for some kind of reward. Maud, on the other hand, is subjecting herself to all this penance but keeps asking God what's in it for her.

[@xyz7572]

This is a really interesting point!

[@AngelinaX23]

Interesting point except that Amanda's apology was not sincere. She was afraid when Maud suddenly appeared in her room in the middle of the night. She wasn't really sorry for insulting Maud, she was just trying to mollify her the way a person would any intruder.

[@jvondd]

@@AngelinaX23 That's a fair point, but I don't think being afraid of what Maud might do necessarily means that she wasn't being sincere. I'm not saying that you're wrong, but I am saying that I don't see the scene that way.

[@AngelinaX23]

​@@jvonddThat is just one reason that the film - and the actors - is so good. The characters motivations and actions are open to interpretation.

[@jvondd]

@@AngelinaX23 I agree. I appreciate it when a director trusts their audience enough to use their own imagination.

[@AverageSparrow]

Something that I found really refreshing is how the ~crazy religious character~ was written. She wasn't super stuffy, reciting scripture, lecturing her victim for her wicked ways. She didn't even seem to have a problem with Amanda being a lesbian (which, as a lesbian, was a huge relief). She just wants Amanda to accept God. Maybe it's because the film is set in the UK and a lot of crazy religious characters are based off of American Puritanism. But regardless, it was much more interesting and realistic to see Maud's fanaticism as her own, home-spun, horrific version of Catholicism. Thank you for directing me to this movie!

[@dbgreene9020]

I believe Maud is probably a lesbian herself and is completely repressed

[@tashliketrash9350]

@@dbgreene9020 I agree, she seemed jealous of carol. Also she looks so bored in the scenes where she’s hooking up with men lol

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

I wished to God that she *was* fanatically reciting verses like a sane zealot. She would not have prayed to a cockaroach or set herself on fire if she was tempered that way. Without dogma, we're just mad men who drown in a torrent of our own minds, as you've seen here.

[@dbgreene9020]

@@TheKing-qz9wd Ummm no. Religious dogma is what causes hatred, violence and war

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

@@dbgreene9020 That's not how emotions and actions work, smarty. Hatred at its root is personal, not systematic. Violence is an action prefered out of something, anything really, but the second party has to be in pain, physical or otherwise. War is the playground of ambitions snakes. Religion is usually an idealist's system which encoutages idealistic behaviours. Religion is inherently variable, maleable, because the dogmas are dependent on the shared ideals of the group or on the ideals of their leader. The partakers thereof are lead around willing and calmly in accordance to this social system they've entered. Now you can have dogma which can make people suffer, but you can also have dogma which brings people joy. A religion like Christianity is hated for times where human leaders with crazed ambitions played with the lives of entire civilisations like a chess game. It is hated because of a myriad of modern subjective behavioural preferences that lead the public bias to deem it outdated and nonconformist, and I will admit that it is not a religion who conforms to outsider standards. The dogma itself does not promote such ambition and will not change it's preferences, as the holy book which is held aloft is not to be editted or to be moved away from just for social standing. The dogma of this religion has always strived to temper its observants, but it does not help that some of the people attracted to it are inherently more blood thirsty than normal. This bloodlust however is seen as a negative dogmatically and the people do what they can to control themselves. Now if want to see what a religion can look like when it says to go conquer and kill, you have a dead one with the Nordic pantheon. If you die violently and valiantly on the battlefield, you go to Valhalla, where you can drink and train for a second battle, where you will be wiped away from existence, and a new world will be made from the aftermath. And they loved it, and were sad when they became sickly old men who couldn't fight anymore. They loved it and killed and died, smiling. Dogma is not the root of evil.

[@robinstanton2592]

I was one of the onlookers on the beach scene at the end. I'm glad this film did so well, and I'm so thrilled that one of my favorite youtubers made a video about it. Everyone involved did a phenomenal job

[@RoBert-on1kb]

so you are a witness of saint mouds rise to heavens? how did she do?

[@dph4n7om]

@@RoBert-on1kb one could say she *killed it*

[@kymo6343]

@@dph4n7om This girl is on fiiiiiire~

[@NickyNicest]

@@RoBert-on1kb straight fire

[@lilo19951995]

The ending of this film is so effective and excellent - imagine if the film had shown her SPOILERS**burning for longer than that brief horrifying second. It wouldn't be nearly as frightening or disturbing in my opinion. I wonder what you call that kind of feeling.

[@ThePoisonLotus]

That was an r/perfectlycutscreams worthy performance. But jokes aside, 100% what you said. Her beautiful delusions contrasted with less than 2 seconds of REALITY CHECK is the single most elegant and effective That Scene (tm) since Lake Mungo and Hereditary

[@tite93]

The way it cuts away is just perfect. I could hear her screaming for a bit longer, then the heavy strings and title card snapped me out of it. Gorgeous, can't believe this is Rose's directorial debut

[@doggeelikesit9849]

Creepy feeling.

[@christofera.amadeus8704]

for me it was a mix of disturbing, tragic, and pure shock, the films almost seems like it doesn't let you absorb it as it was happening, rather just slap you in the ballsack with the truth

[@Werewolf.with.Internet.Access]

That’s called horror. No really. I’m not being sarcastic. Horror is that feeling of your mind going “Jesus did we…did we really just see that shit?! Holy…I think…I think we need to lie down for a while…”

[@Sm0k3turt]

I love that the ending only shows a few frames of her burning. It’s enough to paste the image in my brain

[@caliwagg1898]

I had this video playing as I worked and god damn were those few frames a jumpscare. That’s gonna stick with me a while, now I have to watch the movie.

[@Salt96Life]

The scene where she’s speaking to “God” reminds me so much of the end of The Witch when the devil in the form of the black goat was speaking to her

[@Pusher97]

Remember kids. Choose volleyball, not religiously motivated self immolation.

[@Harry-dh2pm]

Powerful words

[@darklysm8345]

Ok atheist

[@SeriouslyCrime]

Even though its overused to death, i still love biblical horror a lot!

[@mcromance257]

same! there's something apocalyptic yet mesmerizing feel to it

[@koolgool]

As someone who's had a particularly self-destructive history with religion, it's very cathartic for me to see religion explored in horror.

[@gjbsarmeri3957]

It's not really centered around religion though. Its about her psychotis that brings delusions

[@Dosswerks]

@@gjbsarmeri3957Right. Nor is it "biblical".

[@patrickmckenna6391]

Rarely have I been so affected by a movie. I'm 63 and I've been a horror fanatic since I was 14, but oh my fucking God! When we got to the final scene it was pretty obvious what was really happening. My final thoughts were, "Are we actually going to go there?". And then.....WOAH! The end. I didn't sleep much that.night.

[@prettynpetty8342]

Just finished watching the movie and honestly, the most heartbreaking thing is that when her friend came to see her and just talk to her, a person who actually cared about her (I think the friend was coded as an angel imo), Maud ignored her for the most part. She had completely disconnected from reality, no one could save her, she was doomed. A combination of trauma, PTSD, delusions, fanaticism, and most of all loneliness was a perfect storm to lead to tragedy.

[@funkyorange2]

I was lucky enough to see this film and ask questions of the director, Rose Glass, before the lockdown. Absolutely beautiful film that was amazing to see in the cinema, absolutely gorgeous

[@jamesward3859]

Is this movie Anti-religious

[@maximowillis5758]

@@jamesward3859 I wouldn’t say it’s ‘anti-religious’ in the sense of saying ‘all religion is bad’. Instead I take it more to be a curiosity driven foray into what can happen when delusion interferes with reality, whatever or wherever those delusion come from.

[@Mr_Cinematic]

Go watch my saint maud review BRAH

[@latayesha]

r/thatHappened

[@Seanologues]

I think that the scene prior to Maud's rampage at the end of the film really made me like the movie. Maud prattles on about not understanding "God's signs" however in a crucial turning point in her life she's literally visited by a woman named Joy who seeks to reconnect with her. If only she had opened up she may have attained the life and "salvation" she so desperately craved. Fascinating character and disturbingly brilliant film.

[@ihaveaplan.ijustneedmoney.9777]

As a person who was raised in an overly traditional christian household. Saint Maud is terrifying because she is the extreme version of every christian kid who never grew out of it. The thought of "I could have been her" is haunting.

[@eatatjoes6751]

Saint Maud is horrifying to me because I went to a Catholic school and came out of it with severe paranoia about God.

[@sweetbunnybun]

Tbh she doesn't even do anything 'traditionaly' catholic. Like she doesn't even go to church. She didn't even once go to the confession. If she feels guilty or sad and she's a believer, its an option for her. She doesn't celebrate any holiday it seems, she just prays and tortures herself. She didn't surround herself with other believers and didnt do anything for others. She was a narcissist who was very performative and wanted approval.

[@user-dx1jb4zq9e]

Yeah, religious homophobes self immolating and walking around with nails in their shoes is a common problem.

[@piratehookerss]

I think God did try to save her. Before Maud goes to the ending, Joy literally shows up at her doorstep to talk to her. I don’t think Joy’s name is a coincidence.

[@aleynaozler8919]

That's a really nice theory

[@toxicsugarart2103]

Ooo I really like that idea. Even if God wasn’t involved at all, it’s really sad to think that this average lady was reaching out to Maud with friendship but she was too in her own world to notice and/or care.

[@latayesha]

@@toxicsugarart2103 Yeah, Joy even mentions everyone's too into their own world to notice

[@gjbsarmeri3957]

You obviously didn't get the movie. Its not about god, its not about religion. It's about her psychosis that results in delusions

[@mothtransman]

@@gjbsarmeri3957 while that is the central theme of the film, people who do find reasonable comfort in religion and don’t depend solely on it like maud can interpret the last attempt at saving her via human connection as an attempt to help from god as a little bit of hope to hold on to. i personally think it enhances the point of the film- maud literally being so caught up in her delusions that she can’t tell what’s real to the point of not even being able to recognize the god she loves. i can see how you could think of it as derivative of the point, though

[@PhantomBones101]

Maud feels like a deleted character from Blasphemous. I mean look at what's here: a guilty worshiper who cause herself pain to be close to God. Sound familiar?

[@Zayindjejfj]

I think it's become more of a distinguished archetype.

[@esyphillis101]

@@Zayindjejfj is it?

[@Silburific]

Sorrowful be the heart, Penitent One.

[@straypaper]

Stage 1: Maud, the Radiant *You fight a winged shining angel in a stage with background lighting so bright, you can only see the angel when it's covered by the shadow of the pillars in the background* Stage 2: Maud, the Immolated *The background and the angel dims down, revealing that it wasn't really light in the background but a mountain of burned corpses and the angel isn't shining but actually on fire*

[@gingerarc122]

More people need to play Blasphemous!!

[@janevivian24]

Ugh why do i keep procrastinating in watching these movies lol

[@TechnicJunglist]

A24 always delivers

[@ecco2ks]

Lain pfp

[@janevivian24]

@@ecco2ks true

[@indiepunkftw]

Hey, I can contribute! "Geschwind syndrome" is a system of behavioral disorders caused by epilepsy in the temporal lobe - one of the symptoms of this disorder is "hyperreligiosity" characterized by hearing the voice of god, seeing visions, and feeling the presence of god in an intense way. I wasn't convinced this was the case in this movie UNTIL we found out that her "divine levitation" scene was actually an epileptic seizure AND when the writer compared her to Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc specifically, as well as various other biblical and historical figures are suspected by modern-day psychologists to have suffered from this ailment. This writer really knows her psychology!

[@0_dearghealach_083]

As a Roman Catholic, this film terrified me. Maud is religious, yes, but her faith centres around all the things that happen to her, and not focussing on, say, helping another. She is helping Kohl, but it's less out of the goodness of her own heart, and more on the fixation to preach/convert Kohl [despite how she isn't religious], and to convince herself that she is a saint. "My little saviour" seems to cement this idea- convincing Maud that she is, indeed, a saviour. I don't know if she's Old Testament or New Testament. As far as I saw it, Maud was just fixed on the idea of "sainthood". Clearly something really bad happened in her past, seeing from the flashbacks of a dead patient and the roach on the ceiling. I think she created her own form of denomination in her head. When she began cleaning up her apartment, I felt hopeful that Maud would do something good, to get herself out of a rut and get better, but then she put nails in her shoes and my stomach just dropped to the floor. I realised she was making a martyr of herself. LITERALLY. There's something in Saint Maud that terrifies me more than gore and demons and monsters- and it's the perversion of a faith/morality that twists around and becomes evil, although unseen by those who practice it. Maud symbolises everything firebrand and violent in Catholicism- Dark Ages and Puritanism. That roach scene sticks in my head. She was isolated so much, she saw a roach as God? It's more upsetting than it should be. A roach is a scavenger insect. She has scavenged an idea of faith that was inherently troubled and dark, but decided that it's good. She saw angel wings on her, and burns herself on the beach. It's terrifying in that element of human insanity and delusional piety. Props to Rose Glass.

[@ProTobigen]

I am religous myself, but I do very strongly see the point with this movie, and no im not offended or anything. Blind faith and delusion of granduer in thr self and others are horrific things, that pervert and corrupt the human mind. A saviour complex is a horrific thing, making people think they are meant to guide and save people who dont even want anything to do with them. Self hatred is a horrific thing, especially to the point of self harm and self destruction and repression of past traumas in name of penance and fueled by faith. And ya know, doesnt help that some modern religous groups push that shit like its healthy and righteous.

[@toxicsugarart2103]

Same and I actually really related to Maud a lot, maybe not like my current self but past experiences I’ve been through. I love religious horror that shows some of our negative experiences without dunking on all of us lol.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

Very few things are worse than people who think they're better than others and have a "mission". Current-day cancel culture is riddled with people like that, who will destroy others lives without a single moment of remorse just because they think they're in the right, and that without need of religion.

[@jothemonkeyman]

9:28 God speaks Welsh, apparently: "Yn fuan fe fyddet ti'n ymuno y gofleidiad mawr" - Soon you will join in the great embrace

[@abigaileldritch]

That’s because it’s herself

[@ThrottleKitty]

I thought "mawr" was the sound my cat made when I got it angry

[@chorofapski]

i cant help but think that that last second of her engulfed in flames is the pain taking over her, snapping her out of her delusion. its more comforting to think otherwise, but i cant get it out of my head.

[@ajromero3692]

This movie gave me some big 'Carrie (1976) energy. Morfydd Clark would make a fantastic young Margaret White.

[@habition]

my father was a physical therapist assistant. he told me many times about how he would be working on elderly and sick patients and he'd break ribs and burst their chests on accident trying to resuscitate them. it's a sad truth to trying to save someone's life sometimes. i can only hope i never have to do the same thing to someone.

[@MFLimited]

The chest doesn’t “best” open, but the ribs do break and they often break away from the sternum too. Especially in the very elderly, rarely in the young.

[@Itried20takennames]

You need to compress 2 inches to actually pump the heart, and occasionally in older people, ribs might break, but I have had my own rib broken, and I would far prefer “alive but sore a week and it’s heals fine “ versus “dead.” The idea that the chest “bursts” or “collapses” isn’t accurate, and this movie will likely kill a few people, as people who think it’s accurate do too soft and therefore ineffective compressions for fear of the unlikely and healable event of a rib breaking.

[@cesiumverbal102]

honestly, for some reason, i feel like the idea of her actually talking to a god-being is scarier than her just hearing/seeing things... imagine something bigger than yourself taking advantage of you in that way.

[@rasmusazu]

Well. Acording to the bible. God kills millions. Devil kills like 7 people. It would fit well that god dicked over someone to prove something.

[@TheSwordfish009]

@@rasmusazu yeah... killed people who had Mad Max murderous cultures. Those people would literally skin people alive, commit genocide, entitle themselves as gods themselves, drug addicts, child molesters, mock moral objectivity, rape, pillage, enslave, sacrifice their own children. They would also kill people who didn't agree with them. They would also have sex with animals, marry their siblings. Step fathers would marry a woman AND her daughter. Women held no rights. But yeah... God is the bad guy.

[@rasmusazu]

@@TheSwordfish009 ... He flooded the earth because some people were dicks.. Are you saying that ALL people in the world were bad and only Noah was the good bloke? If so, then god is doing a piss poor job ^.- I refuse to believe that the majority of the human race were "bad". Seemed more like God just didnt want to put the work in. I believe in neither god nor the devil, but it does seem like the devil is the lesser evil. Does he corrupt? Sure, but the corruption seems more like "Dont be a fucking sheep and follow some dude just because hes powerful".

[@bitchface235]

@@rasmusazu no he flooded the earth because the seed of everything that moved upon the earth had been corrupted. See this thing happens when angles fall from heaven and start raping every living creature. It's called god gets pissed.

[@rasmusazu]

Uhu... Everything except every animal and Noah of course. Dont remember the "angels sticking their dick in everything", part, besides, wouldnt the fish that got raped survive? Does this mean that fish are the spawn of evil?

[@madmouse4465]

Don’t mess with us “Mother!” fans. We don’t understand what’s happening in the movie either.

[@sebcooper5666]

Had us in the first half. I've seen that movie three times and still confused.

[@HGAMES69]

It's not that bad. It's basically a normie take on the experimental movie Begotten (1990)

[@gufaaahhh]

@@HGAMES69 begotten is fucking insane.

[@TheVolginator]

You people exist? Yikes lol. Also shout out Begotten, I love pseudo intellectual movies

[@EmilyDickmesome]

@@TheVolginator If Begotten is pseudointellectual then what does this say about Mother!

[@fionamacleod6910]

I saw this movie on my own in the cinema between lockdowns. Felt massive amounts of empathy for her isolation and her need to connect meaning to the smallest patterns.

[@mattuwu9978]

Her desperation to find meaning in ultimately inconsequential patterns really reminds me of my manic episodes before I was properly diagnosed and medicated for bipolar disorder.

[@drewgarrett-stewart183]

I struggle with reality sometimes I’m a spiritual guy but religion says that this world is artificial and that we are being tested. That concept really trips me out sometime that we are in some type of simulation being watched over like a tv show.

[@swordsaintbrie]

ayo the ending was fire tho 💯💯💯🥵🥵🥵

[@DerekFerguson90]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@writehse]

Lmao ong

[@thatstrangebuggirl4150]

😂

[@maxgc6413]

However..Ryan is the king of reviewing and analyzing horror gems. Always delivers. You write these sort of love letters with each of your videos. I am so glad to see a youtuber that likes these films the way they should be viewed. Many ignorant folks always say these kinds of flicks are slow, or they dont understand, drives me nuts. You're one of the few that really get them and are so passionate about letting your audience discover these for themselves too!

[@mattaffenit9898]

*Hoiever.

[@MRJTD99]

As someone who criticized a lot of these films for a myriad of reasons (Not Saint Maud. This film's great), I appreciate Ryan being passionate about these films without being pretentious like I see so often in comment sections. He fully admits that the films simply aren't for everyone. He looks for the best in everything he reviews without diminishing their shortcomings, and that's commendable.

[@mattaffenit9898]

@Arthur Frayn ... Midwit? Do you mean dimwit, or is this a term I'm just oblivious to?

[@mattaffenit9898]

@Arthur Frayn Oh. ... Huh. First I'm hearing of this.

[@cathylindeboom4494]

@@mattaffenit9898 Or nitwit?

[@kyralindsey5885]

this is why mental health support is so essential.

[@oddeyes9413]

As a person who went undiagnosed with bipolar disorder until they were 23 years old - I agree. Its probably even more important now.

[@GG-kn2se]

The luxury of wealth

[@trevorclinton5692]

This is why eugenics is so important 🙏

[@rikmcdik6662]

Everybody talks about the ending, and for good reason, but I really liked the part with the demon delusions on Amanda. Once you see the ending and know for sure it was all in her psychotic state, it really shows she wasn’t just a danger to herself but pretty much anybody who questioned her.

[@romerobjuancarlos]

Morfydd Clark's raw energy and body language were painful to watch, and I say this as a compliment, because of how committed she was to the character and they way it portrayed her faith as a very thin screen to protect her from the past trauma was HORRIFYING. Seeing it crack little by little was haunting. Amazing film, and I do hope people start casting Clark more so we can see the full extent of her range and on the other hand I want producers greenlighting Glass' projects from now on. Phenomenal debut. Also the scene with "god" speaking Welsh (thanks fellow commenters for clearing this up) was a blast. I watched it at 2am and it freaked me out a little.

[@meat___]

This film feels like an alternate version of They Look Like People where the protagonist never ended up getting help and succumbed to his delusions.

[@janevivian24]

YES! This felt like a mix of black swan and they look like people turnt up to 100.

[@jeffreybarker357]

I have to applaud Glass for this ending. It's probably the best I've seen in a movie that intentionally keeps things ambiguous throughout.

[@TicTacPilgrim]

The editing is a support beam to the house of a movie. A strong support that decided to show those last few frames in the ending really made it memorable. Just like what what was done in kid detective.

[@YossDillo]

You know, as soon as you mentioned Maud's isolation I was reminded of how as Christians we *aren't* supposed to isolate ourselves like that. While periodic time away from other people and with God is good, we also need to have a community with other believers.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

That’s what places of worship are for, right? Establishing a community centered around a shared identity?

[@YossDillo]

@@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick I mean, yeah. It's not the building so much as the people in it. I've always thought of it as a rallying point for a community.

[@TheFeyRa]

Yeah, she just came up with her own warped version of religion.

[@toxicsugarart2103]

Yeah!! Honestly I’m living for the Christian perspectives in this comment section. Discovering the subgenre of religious horror has really gotten me out of a burnout, and it’s fun to watch and like, discern things in the movies from a biblical perspective. :D

[@PhoenixFireKMS]

My thoughts exactly!!!

[@nicobones9608]

Powerful. Part of the message seems to be, "Don't forsake your fellow mortals in pursuit of God." Ironically, it's an idea the Bible talks about in several places. But all delusions, by their nature, cause us to gloss over those things that fly against what our delusions have led us to believe. I think religion and faith in this movie are used as metaphors for delusion, not necessarily because it is saying that religion is delusional, but rather because the same fervor of belief that one finds in faith can be found in delusions. As someone who used to believe he traveled to a different world whenever he slept, I can attest that delusions can be exceedingly convincing.

[@ImmaculateOtter]

Can you elaborate on your "different worlds" comment? That sounds intriguing

[@naus6081]

Yeah, powerfully evil by Biblical standards. God should always come first- humans struggle to selfishly pursue the self and other people whom do their own thing. Human nature is such that the idea of there being anything resembling true altruism is nothing but an illusion; without God at least.

[@nicobones9608]

@@ImmaculateOtter When I was ten-years-old, I had just moved to a new state, my father was emotionally abusive and manipulative, my teacher was mean, the other kids picked on me because I was the new kid, and I started having recurring dreams wherein I went to another world. In this other world, I was a hero who was capable of saving people, defeating evil, and was loved by many. The weird thing was, these dreams often picked up where they last left off. I think the dreams started because I needed some form of escape, and I believed in them because I needed that escape. In time, though, even the dreams became something that I needed to escape, as I began to fall under the further delusion that the evils I was fighting in that other world had a chance of entering the real world unless I stopped them.

[@nicobones9608]

@@naus6081 See, though, God still very much encourages us to seek out fellowship with human beings. He clearly states that if we are going to make a sacrifice to him and we remember that we have a conflict with our brother, we should reconcile with our brother first. The Bible also encourages us to have "Holy Convocations," which can only be had in the presence of other people. What we do to "the least of these" we have also done unto him. I really could go on and on. Our relationship with God isn't separate from our relationship with other people, it is expressed through our relationships with other people.

[@gjbsarmeri3957]

@@nicobones9608 luckily god doesn't exist so i don't have to deal with bullshit from the bible

[@bradleevanravenswaay1761]

I get incredibly lucky to see this in the theater two days ago and I was the only one there. It was so isolating. I can’t explain how intense it made this film.

[@henrintibu]

Shit you lucky, all by your self too?

[@bradleevanravenswaay1761]

@@henrintibu haha yeah I tend to have to go to horror movies by myself, especially the more “niche/indie” ones like this

[@henrintibu]

@@bradleevanravenswaay1761 oh ok, I wrongly understood that at the screening of Saint Maud, the movie room was completely empty. I too prefer going to theater alone

[@bradleevanravenswaay1761]

@@henrintibu oh it was completely empty. I had the whole theater to myself.

[@henrintibu]

@@bradleevanravenswaay1761 damn even better then!! You from a small town?

[@jaysal_dies]

That ending is the perfect jumpscare holy shit

[@Pleiosaur]

Hello, I’m a hospice nurse, and I can tell you breaking ribs is unfortunately a possible outcome of CPR. We learn that in school, but it is nonetheless traumatic when it happens to you or a coworker. I don’t think what Maude did was not wrong (initially), but she felt as she had done harm.

[@MFLimited]

I imagine, as a hospice nurse, you don’t do a lot of CPR. Everyone has DNRs by the time they are in hospice, correct?

[@arcadia7459]

Holy Moley, what a vid Horror Daddy

[@Bandstand]

Cool vid Ryan 👌🏻

[@SB-jq8jj]

@Bandstand Y r u everywhere lol?

[@danieleasterling5325]

As a Christian myself, I can attest that we have some major crazies and zealots that go way too far.

[@dbgreene9020]

More than some haha

[@arthurfisher1857]

The problem is everyone has their own idea of how far is too far and every Christian (including myself) thinks they're on the right side of it

[@rob3791]

@@arthurfisher1857 Well, if you're hurting yourself, or others, you've not only taken it too far, but you have completely failed as a Christian.

[@zackie8172]

like what?

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

@@rob3791 You say that now but if this was a few hundred years ago, you'd be dead.

[@TRey-ly4vx]

It's like the entire movie is a slow tension building dirge to that jump scare at the end, i shit bricks in the cinema when that happened.

[@inferiorinferno8859]

And that's what I think is the true tragedy of May (2002). May also grows unstable out of loneliness, but in her case, NO ONE tried to reach out. It was being rejected every damn time that broke her. Not one person actually tried to be there for her and tried to help her. The people around her let May drown in her loneliness until she literally started murdering people and make a giant Frankenstein doll out of their remains because she wanted a friend THAT BADLY. The Frankensteiny aspect at the end of the movie had critics dismiss this movie without trying to see the deeper meaning of loneliness, and I feel like this movie should be rewatched in the pandemic, because then that movie would have been given the love it deserves.

[@Carmen676]

Ya’ll ever want to subscribe to someone twice? That’s my feeling with Ryan. The more I watch other youtubers that do something similar to Ryan the more I appreciate what he does. Thank you :)

[@carleeelizabeth]

me: hm i've never heard of this movie i'll look it up me: of fucking course its a24

[@cineturon]

they just bought it for distribution

[@katyrye]

To me, having been raised ultra religious, this was a drama that was real. But not too shocking. I think it may be shocking to people who have not raised/recovered from this

[@TJF588]

You were _not_ kidding with that last cut of the film. There are so many horror movies I've now only approached through your presentations (though there are some I've paused and pocketed as ones I may be able to stomach watching for myself), but even in this format, that abrupt snap to black still hit, striking my rarely inflamed morbid curiosity.

[@-K_J-]

Can we agree that Rose Glass’s firework looking earrings are cool as hell tho

[@Account_Not_Applicable]

4:31 this is actually something I've been paranoid about ever since CPR training in High School; that I'd accidentally break a victim's ribs and sternum from chest compressions. Thank you Rose Glass for tapping into that genuine fear of mine and that it is a possibility. Fuck.

[@MFLimited]

It rarely happens with young people. i’ve never seen it anyway. But it’s very much a reality doing chest compressions on an elderly person. There is no way around it. However, when you are doing chest compressions, they are already clinically dead. You are giving them one chance at resuscitation before biological death sets in. Chances are, with a very senior person you will not be successful.

[@AngelinaX23]

​@@MFLimitedWhich is why I have DNR tattooed across my chest.

[@paradactyl3729]

Does anyone else suspect Rose Glass was deliberately resisting the implications of her name by making such a mercilessly bleak and unsentimental film?

[@xyz7572]

Implications of her name…?

[@airari24]

@@xyz7572 viewing things through rose colored glasses

[@xyz7572]

@@airari24 aaaahhh I see, thank you for explaining 😅

[@NyleGames]

I can't stop thinking about the setting in this movie, having it based in a seaside town takes a cosiness and warps it in such a way I haven't seen before. Especially when it ends like that on the beach, oof.

[@endel12]

CPR - Clean, Pretty, and Reliable in movies but not so much in real life

[@stfnknbb]

Yep. A buddy had to give cpr to an older woman on his first day (fireman) and broke a bunch of her ribs. He was doing it correctly, and it was necessary given the situation, but he was really shaken up.

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

@@stfnknbb Ya'll ribs that soft?

[@ANLATCHNOON]

@@TheKing-qz9wd Ribs aren’t ridge. Even aside from the cartilage near the diaphragm, they’re fairly thin compared to other bones.

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

@@ANLATCHNOON Far as I remember most people's ribs don't break from CPR though.

[@calciumstealer2448]

@@TheKing-qz9wd oh they do, practically every doctor says that 'broken ribs can be fixed but a stopped heart cant'

[@Duskets]

I was hyped for this thing pre-COVID and it was absolutely worth the wait. Stunning film. And my god that last shot.

[@moonlily1]

The most depressing thing in this movie is Maud's studio apartment.

[@delaneystorm]

I’ve been so looking forward to this film, not even sure why but I found the premise intriguing.

[@PhantomBones101]

Maybe its because of how ambiguous the story is until the very end. That's what drew me in.

[@delaneystorm]

Finally watched it so now I can enjoy Ryan’s critiques 😊 my favorite type of horror - show don’t tell, unreliable narrators, complicated protagonist character... very impressed by it. The trauma I’ve heard from others throughout their lives... religion has had the cruelest wrath on the ppl I’ve spoken to... as someone who didn’t grow up in a religious household I find it morbidly fascinating.

[@jonathanmartin8462]

You should really do The Blackcoats Daughter. Great little hidden gem from Oz Perkins. Would love to see a video on that one

[@vomitfountain]

I'll second that. I really loved that movie.

[@shilohoward6085]

In my opinion the movie alludes to it all being in her head several times, from the levitation scene like you mentioned to the scene where she crashes into a dresser after being flung into it by a "demon". When she hits it the glass shatters and it's on the floor but literally in the next frame before she stabs her to death the glass on the floor is gone.

[@ellis7622]

really happy you covered this one ryan. it looked great but i haven’t been able to catch it anywhere so this is perfect.

[@malachismith6444]

So, I’m a Christian. And this film made me question what I’ve already been questioning. This movie terrified me on a different level. Just the fact that no one truly knows what past this life. What if I’m wrong in how I serve God and go to Hell for it? Or what if God truly is forgiving and I do still get to go to Heaven. Scary stuff. Thanks for uploading!! This movie will definitely stick with me.

[@MFLimited]

Read Matthew, 25:31-46 Survival If you do that, and pray, you’re doing the right thing. The Bible says there are very many false religions and religious people. Many that will try to make you act the opposite of what is in that parable. Don’t follow them

[@BeautyandtheBritt]

Just cause u grew up in church and said a sinner’s prayer doesn’t mean you’re a believer. Seek God and he will reveal himself and compare your beliefs according to scripture

[@maxi-nz6jw]

how did i miss this movie omg ??? gonna watch it right now. then ill come back.

[@JustCallMeMeghan]

Oohhh, just finished Saint Maud. So excited to see what you thought and your theories!

[@laurelsilberman5705]

This was a really great one, Ryan. Thanks for the content!

[@joshuaclarke1389]

Another great video Ryan! Love waking up to these videos, I've seen on Facebook that a lot of people didn't understand St. Maud, sure closure IS nice, but at the same time I love when stuff is for the audience to interpret.

[@NicholasJFury]

Never been this quick to a Ryan Hollinger video.... God I love this channel

[@doll_dress_swap1269]

I just want the earnings the director is wearing in her interview.

[@ADMG]

I was waiting for this video. Great as always Ryan!

[@Algrenion]

i feel like ive been waiting forever for this video - thank you for delivering us, Ryan ~ also in a lot of repects, this film really hits close to home if you've ever experienced psychosis, delusions, or visual/tactile hallucinations, their presentation of how the world looks when you're going through those things was shockingly accurate that one scene that the opening shot to this video shows was absolutely terrifying to me... i love this film. I really, really do.

[@murraymacdonald6304]

Damn I literally watched this the other day, perfect timing.

[@Caeljharden]

God that CPR scene still makes my chest hurt 😩.. the ending was fcking amazing tho. That millisecond of it showing what actually was happening… 👏🏼👏🏼 A+++ 💋🤌🏼 Her scream will haunt my dreams forever lol

[@Aitaitaitai]

Thank you so much for covering this one. I’ve not yet mustered up the courage to watch because of the nail shoes in the trailers but it looked amazing.

[@thegreatwallinthesky7665]

Been waiting for you to cover this film, this is really good! quality work as always

[@tullerusk987]

I agree it was all in her head, but I feel a possible alternative interpetation could be that the voice Maud heard was not God but the Devil the whole time. Preying on a lost soul and twisting it until she takes on her own choice takes suicide and the final frames is Maud breaking from her dellusions in pain.

[@lacrimatorium]

I think it would be a mistake to look at Saint Maud as any sort of study of faith or Christianity. Even blind faith. She is supposedly a Catholic. And yet there is no church, no priests. Only images on the wall. She could have picked those up anywhere. If you'll notice she connects to the description of William Blake rejecting organized religion. That is her as well. She is someone who seems to feel extremely guilty and her attachment to faith and God is indeed the personal attachment of a soul devolving into madness. It's her interpretation of what faith might be. Not actual faith. I think it is a work of art. But if anyone ever says that this in anyway reflects the actual faith of Christians I'm afraid they are heading towards the same irrational zone she did. The best corrective would indeed go to an actual church, most of the people there will strike you as the most ordinary people you've ever met. To say that 'some people' treat their faith like this is pretty much like saying some people contract whooping cough. Yeah a few people still do, but 'some' is statistically stretching it.

[@RyanHollinger]

That’s still a study of faith, even if it isn’t what you consider faith

[@lacrimatorium]

​@@RyanHollinger Hey Ryan I don't have a private definition of faith. Faith is based on trust. Fear is therefore its opposite. She acts in a delusional state throughout the film. Her delusions are clearly based on fear. People who 'believe' in God because they are afraid of him do not do so out of faith. So unless you consider delusion to be a species of faith, I can't see this as a study in faith. Unless you consider faith to simply be a set of intellectual propositions that a person holds as true. I can say I believe in gravity. My use of the word 'believe' there is purely intellectual. When standing on the edge of a cliff, as I was two days ago, I truly trusted that gravity was real and acted accordingly. If I was afraid of gravity, and acted accordingly that would have been delusional. Faith and reason are connected not separate. Even Kierkegaard, who invented the concept of a leap of faith, did not see faith completely divorced from reason These issues have been debated for years by theologians and philosophers. So again this wasn't simply a comment based on my personal delusions. (Not that I'm saying that you thought I was irrational.) But I appreciate your taking a moment to try to correct me.

[@whocares6574]

Yo it’s my favourite KZbinr from back home. Big love Ryan keep it up

[@agraciotti]

Yes!! I was waiting for your take on it. This film is incredible. My favorite of the year already.

[@fishiest3539]

Something that Dan Olsen in his video about Annihilation and decoding metaphor touched on is this idea of... idk what to call it. Literalizing movies? How someone could be like "FILM THEORY: MAUD was POSSESSED by the DEVIL and I can PROVE IT" and completely miss the point of the movie, which is NOT to fall into a delusional spiral of using imagery to "solve" things.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

Exactly. Trying to “outsmart” a movie that’s trying to send a profound message about the human condition, (with its own imagery no less) is not only a poor way to engage with art, but potentially dangerous when the film is discussing things as heavy as St. Maud does.

[@looney1023]

I can't wait to watch this. Have you seen The Lodge? It tackles similar themes through a different kind of lens and winds up being even more nihilistic and devastating.

[@efnfen]

Nice video, Ryan. I'm enjoying your work.

[@chriscze6153]

yas GAWD. So glad to see a video essay about this so soon.

[@avramsanders9198]

Ryan PLEASE make a video on The Blackcoats Daughter!!! It's such a great movie and I'd love to hear your take on it

[@AceAttorny]

Oh, shit, I forgot this was coming out. Thanks for the reminder, Ryan!

[@CanIBorrowAFeelin]

This is crazy! I literally just watched this movie and was thinking you would make a video about this! Great Stuff Ryan!

[@ss_avsmt]

I wish Amazon understood the true potential of Morfydd Clarke. She would be great as an uncanny villian or a deeply troubled psycho, not as Galadriel, the saviour of middle earth. She is brilliant.

[@Taidan43]

I thought the lead actor in this was fantastic.She was also great in a very different, silly role in the recent David Copperfield film. And she was apparently also in Crawl, the gators in the basement flick, a guilty pleasure.

[@ReettaJ]

I really liked this film. The ambiguity right up until the last frames was really well built, and the way the end broke conventions and dropped the audience back to reality was actually quite shocking. And despite her devout religiousness, I really felt for Maud for the whole film. Her disconnect from the world and people around her was very tangible and relatable (to me at least).

[@lisamcconville5045]

Great video Ryan. Such a heartbreaking film. I found the bar scene, in particular, so upsetting. She was so lost, but utterly unable to connect with anyone around her. And I know everyone is saying it, but that final frame is going to stay with me for a very long time.