The Unholy is a 2021 American supernatural horror film written, produced, and directed by Evan Spiliotopoulos (in his directorial debut), based on the 1983 novel Shrine by James Herbert. Produced by Sam Raimi through his Ghost House Pictures banner, it stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Katie Aselton, William Sadler, Diogo Morgado, Cricket Brown, and Cary Elwes. The film follows on a disgraced journalist (Morgan) who discovers a series of seemingly divine miracles in a small New England town and uses them to resurrect his career, though those ‘miracles’ may have a much darker source
Plot[]
The film opens in 1845 with the execution of a woman, later identified as Mary Elnor, who has been accused of witchcraft in Banfield, Massachusetts. The woman is hanged from a tree and ultimately set on fire. Before she dies, however, her ash is kept in a kern doll, indicating the doll has been possessed by Mary's spirit.
In the present day, disgraced journalist Gerry Fenn works a job reporting on all things strange and unusual. His latest assignment takes him to Boston, where the purported strange activity is revealed to be a teenage prank. As he is preparing to leave, he discovers the doll and purposely crushes it, accidentally freeing Mary's spirit. Gerry later gets into an accident as he is driving away after seeing a young girl, Alice Pagett, run across the road. He follows Alice to the tree where Mary was hanged, the site where he found the doll, and hears her speak before collapsing. When he takes her to a nearby church, he learns that Alice is deaf and mute. Gerry decides to stay in town to investigate what he thinks could be a real story of the supernatural.
The following day, Alice stuns the community by speaking, proclaiming that she has been cured by the Virgin Mary. This launches a media furore that is further propelled by other seemingly miraculous healings. During one of the healings, a statue of the Virgin Mary near the chancel of the church cries tears of blood. The Catholic Church sends Monsignor Delgarde to investigate the claims, assisted by Bishop Gyles. Gerry befriends Alice, who tells him that while she has been speaking to an entity named Mary, she has only assumed that it was the Virgin Mary. Beginning to suspect that something sinister is occurring due to visions of "Mary" as a horrific creature, Gerry finds a partner in Father William Hagan, Alice's maternal uncle, whom she healed, but also suspects the healings' true nature. Hagan discovers a book detailing Mary Elnor, who performed miracles for Satan, but before he has the chance to warn anybody Elnor attacks him and his body is found hanging in the church. Gyles convinces Gerry to keep the apparent suicide of Hagan quiet as it will tarnish the divine occurrences; Hagan's death is declared an accident.
Gerry befriends Natalie Gates, the town's physician, and reveals that he was found fabricating stories which is why he now reports hoax stories, hoping this event will relaunch his career. The pair eventually comes across the information Hagan discovered, revealing Elnor sold her soul to Satan in order to gain power. Satan would allow her and her descendants (one of whom being Alice) to perform "miracles" prompting people to pledge themselves to her, and in turn, Satan. Elnor tries to kill Gerry, but Delgarde drives her away with prayer and a crucifix. Gerry and Delgarde are shocked to learn that Gyles was aware of the history in Banfield involving Elnor, but thought that it was not connected to the miracles that were recently occurring. He warns Gerry that any attempt to share his views on the situation will fall on deaf ears due to Gerry’s tarnished reputation.
Alice, who they believe is unaware of Mary's true nature, wishes to hold a church service by the tree and broadcast it to the masses. Delgarde warns that those pledging themselves to Elnor would make her stronger and condemn their soul to Hell. Gerry, Natalie and Delgarde try to perform a ritual in the church to stop this, but Elnor appears and crushes Delgarde with a burning cross.
Once the service begins, Alice urges everyone to pledge themselves to Mary three times. Gerry manages to stop the crowd from fully pledging by claiming that the miracles were just more of his hoaxes, that they were all a result of the placebo effect. Natalie communicates with Alice using sign language, urging her to stop the service. Mary speaks to Alice, entreating her to continue it or never speak again. Realizing Mary's true nature, Alice confirms that the miracles were not of God. The tree suddenly bursts into flames, causing all the attendants to flee in panic as an angry Mary emerges from it. She incinerates Gyles before attempting to kill Gerry, but Alice sacrifices herself to save his life. This causes Mary to disappear, as Alice was her link to the living world. Struck by her sacrifice, Gerry begs God to save Alice's life. She comes back to life, but is once again deaf. All the people whom Alice cured soon return to their prior state and the film concludes with a warning from Biblical verse Matthew 7:15.
Cast[]
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Gerald "Gerry" Fenn
- Cricket Brown as Alice Pagett
- William Sadler as Father William Hagan
- Katie Aselton as Natalie Gates
- Cary Elwes as Bishop Gyles
- Diogo Morgado as Monsignor Delgarde
- Bates Wilder as Geary
- Marina Mazepa as Mary Elnor
- Christine Adams as Monica Slade
- Gisela Chipe as Sofia Walsh
- Dustin Tucker as Dan Walsh
- Danny and Sonny Corbo as Toby Walsh