Though it ran like a combination of clichés, the occult-prophecy angles were intriguing in their own right and the overall delivery captivated, thanks in large part to notable performances. I liked the unconventional non-religious direction they took to tell this story.
A dark palette permeated the entire movie, giving it an almost mental-psychological Lovecraftian flourish. The plot featured familiar themes like nuns in remote settings experiencing unexplained phenomena. But the writers took things up a notch and harnessed a sensitive topic to showcase as the main fear factor.
The topic in question was an immaculate conception, in this case attributed to a Catholic nun named Sister Yulia (played by Maria Vera Ratti). Word of the occurrence prompted the Vatican to send in some priests to verify the claim, something that has not happened since Mary birthed Jesus centuries ago.
The twist I most liked featured a prophecy that had been making the rounds in the Vatican's hidden halls. It stated that a woman would birth twins, with one of them being the new messiah and the other fulfilling the soul-ordained role of anti-christ.
Contributing to this portentous milestone were members of a secret society called Vox Dei (Latin, meaning 'voice of god'). They comprised some sort of lost Zoroastrian priesthood. Nobody completely believed Yulia's claim, but when they were proven to be true, the Vox Dei members were first to shun the 'miracle'. They demanded the anti-christ infant be aborted or later assassinated.
One of the opposing Catholic priests was Father Fox (played by Lee Roy Kunz), a Jesuit from the United States. He took it upon himself to save Yulia and her soon-to-arrive infants, starting with ferreting her away from Russia to Tallinn (Estonia). He accepted essential help from his romantic partner Laura (played by Jaune Kimmel).
But the head of the Vox Dei - Father Saul (played by Thomas Kretschmann) - was hunting them. Cardinal Russo (played by Alexander Siddig) was with Fox and Yulia, and together they were trying to understand the prophecy connecting them to the newborn twins, Samuel and Jacob.
Great lore - full marks for that in the movie. Some nice "Omen" and "Shining" vibes added to the thrill factor. The team didn't shy from showing ritualistic nudity and gore, minimally so and only during relevant sequences.
Even though the plot was simple, the story didn't fall flat. The team took a surprisingly safe route to tell this tale, which miraculously didn't end up damning its promising plotline.
"Deliver Us" lived up to its title and delivered us an end-times movie with a handful of basic elements to make its message stand out. Though it won't be competing with some better-dramatized horror titles which released this year, "Deliver Us" still contained a story worth watching.
A dark palette permeated the entire movie, giving it an almost mental-psychological Lovecraftian flourish. The plot featured familiar themes like nuns in remote settings experiencing unexplained phenomena. But the writers took things up a notch and harnessed a sensitive topic to showcase as the main fear factor.
The topic in question was an immaculate conception, in this case attributed to a Catholic nun named Sister Yulia (played by Maria Vera Ratti). Word of the occurrence prompted the Vatican to send in some priests to verify the claim, something that has not happened since Mary birthed Jesus centuries ago.
The twist I most liked featured a prophecy that had been making the rounds in the Vatican's hidden halls. It stated that a woman would birth twins, with one of them being the new messiah and the other fulfilling the soul-ordained role of anti-christ.
Contributing to this portentous milestone were members of a secret society called Vox Dei (Latin, meaning 'voice of god'). They comprised some sort of lost Zoroastrian priesthood. Nobody completely believed Yulia's claim, but when they were proven to be true, the Vox Dei members were first to shun the 'miracle'. They demanded the anti-christ infant be aborted or later assassinated.
One of the opposing Catholic priests was Father Fox (played by Lee Roy Kunz), a Jesuit from the United States. He took it upon himself to save Yulia and her soon-to-arrive infants, starting with ferreting her away from Russia to Tallinn (Estonia). He accepted essential help from his romantic partner Laura (played by Jaune Kimmel).
But the head of the Vox Dei - Father Saul (played by Thomas Kretschmann) - was hunting them. Cardinal Russo (played by Alexander Siddig) was with Fox and Yulia, and together they were trying to understand the prophecy connecting them to the newborn twins, Samuel and Jacob.
Great lore - full marks for that in the movie. Some nice "Omen" and "Shining" vibes added to the thrill factor. The team didn't shy from showing ritualistic nudity and gore, minimally so and only during relevant sequences.
Even though the plot was simple, the story didn't fall flat. The team took a surprisingly safe route to tell this tale, which miraculously didn't end up damning its promising plotline.
"Deliver Us" lived up to its title and delivered us an end-times movie with a handful of basic elements to make its message stand out. Though it won't be competing with some better-dramatized horror titles which released this year, "Deliver Us" still contained a story worth watching.