Sydney Sweeney Thriller Immaculate Starts Streaming on Netflix

Sydney Sweeney is one of the most prominent actresses of her generation. Launched to fame by Euphoria, she has starred in major box office hits. Her work spans romantic comedies and thrillers, but she also takes on a producer role and contributes to the creative process for many of her movies.

One passion project took more than a decade to develop: a religious horror film in which Sweeney plays a young nun living in an Italian convent. Immaculate was released in 2024 to strong reviews, and it is now streaming on Netflix.

Sweeney first encountered the script at age 16 when she auditioned for the role. The production did not move forward at the time, but years later, after building her career and pursuing producing, she returned to the project.

“This one, Sydney was my boss. She hired me, and I wanted to deliver for her,” director Michael Mohan told The Hollywood Reporter at the time of the movie’s release. “I’m very lucky that we just trust each other, and oftentimes when we’re shooting, I’ll do a take, and we can look at each other and we know what the other one’s thinking.”

In Immaculate, Sweeney plays Sister Cecilia, a sweet American nun in a setting evoking the 1960s or 1970s. After her parish in Michigan closes, she is invited by Father Tadeschi, played by Alvaro Morte, to join an Italian convent. Cecilia embraces convent life abroad despite not knowing the language, only to discover the compound hides dark secrets and her arrival was intentionally planned.

The story follows traditional paths for Catholic horror. The convent houses senior nuns in their final days while younger nuns care for them. Father Tadeschi formerly studied biology and maintains a laboratory in the basement. When Cecilia’s friend among the nuns goes missing, Cecilia suspects sinister motives.

Director Michael Mohan steers the film away from standard jump scares, choosing a deliberate build-up. The camera highlights Italian greenery and convent architecture filled with religious imagery and period details. When terror appears, it relies on shadows from flickering candles or a confessional sequence that shifts camera lenses to create distance between Cecilia and the priest.

The film highlights Sweeney’s range as an actress. As the story unfolds, she runs, screams, and displays final-girl traits, but these moments are used sparingly. Sweeney portrays Cecilia as a patient, skeptical observer who slowly realizes the danger of her situation.

Immaculate lets audiences interpret ideas independently rather than relying solely on constant jump scares or demonic tropes. Mohan balances these elements without leaning into excess. The twists leading to the grand finale offer novel concepts, proving the years spent reviving the project were worthwhile.

Immaculate is streaming now on Netflix.

Source: Polygon