(ANALYSIS) It isn’t uncommon for nuns to be the subject of a religious horror movie. In general, religious horror tends to focus on isolation and evil — or the defilement of something pure. Nuns, living together in a convent, both celibate and devout, make for the ideal subversive character setting. 

But to have two horror movies with pregnant nun protagonists in theaters at the same time is admittedly an unusual event. 

Both “Immaculate” and “The First Omen” have the same premise: A young woman moves to Italy to join a convent after a troubled childhood and lifelong dedication to God, where she’s soon exposed to horrors beyond comprehension. Both share similar messages, too, making commentary on women’s rights and the church. 

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Though they share an uncanny set of similarities, these movies are not made equal. 

“Immaculate” is the more unimpressive of the two. Though it boasts a shorter runtime, it lacks a compelling ambiance and merely plods along its narrative arc. Sydney Sweeney makes for a delightful Sister Cecilia, a demure and pious nun who doesn’t take her horrors lying down. 

This movie won’t appeal to religious audiences — particularly those who are pro life. It isn’t meant to. “Immaculate” is exactly the opposite — a thinly-veiled and on-the-nose pro-choice metaphor. 

The clergy in Cecilia’s convent are driven by delusional religious fervor and nothing grander, certainly not a mission driven by God. They torture women for asking questions or for trying to leave. Their rules are strict and their punishment cruel. It’s hard to say that this movie is disrespectful of Christians when it blatantly is, particularly of nuns and those who have dedicated their lives to God. 

It just isn’t plausible enough to be disrespectful. After all, I imagine if it came to light that a religious group was cutting off tongues, torturing its members and forcibly impregnating women, Christians wouldn’t be all that supportive. 

The movie’s goal, seemingly, is to present the most dramatic case for an abortion: What if you were an innocent woman who’d devoted her life to God and were impregnated through the will of a cultish and controlling convent who’d been watching you your entire life? The movie adequately portrays the pain and fear of pregnancy, but that’s about all it does. The message is neither revolutionary nor nuanced, meant to appeal to people who are already strongly pro-choice. 

“The First Omen” is a surprising standout, considering it’s a prequel for a movie that doesn’t at all demand a franchise. It has all the nuance “Immaculate” lacks and a more realistic view of the harms of the modern church. 

It’s also just a good horror film, slightly cheesy but filled with the perfect amount of jump scares and a particular standout for its body horror.

Because it’s a prequel, the end is clear: The U.S. ambassador, played by Gregory Peck in the 1976 movie “The Omen,” will end up with a son who’s actually the Antichrist, meant to bring about the end of the world as described in the book of Revelation. “The First Omen” shows all the torture and tragedy involved in bringing that child to be. 

Like in “Immaculate,” the protagonist Margaret is made pregnant against her will. But the similarities stop there. In fact, Margaret wants to keep and care for the children inside her — something that can’t be said for Sister Cecilia. 

This movie’s true message is different and made clear from the start: While driving to the convent, Margaret is confronted with a protest put on by young people in Rome. She’s informed by Cardinal Lawrence that they’re protesting against established authority, which includes the church. The church is fighting a losing battle against secularism, he tells her, and they’re working every day to win back souls. 

That plan, evil as it is unconventional, is to introduce the Antichrist into the world and frighten people into returning to Christianity.

Though the movie is set in 1971, it has more relevance to today, as church attendance and participation everywhere decreases and the world seems to become ever-more secular. 

The premise, admittedly, is just as implausible as the group in “Immaculate.” There isn’t a group of nuns in Italy breeding pure evil; such a thing would be impossible, the way they do it. But it poses an important question: How far is the church willing to go in order to bring people back into the fold? 

Realistically, the answer to the mystery behind these movies isn’t so mysterious at all. They’re a veiled response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. They’re given a religious backdrop because it happens to fit the narrative and because Christians are some of the loudest voices in the pro-life movement.  

Beyond that, both movies relate the very real fear of losing autonomy as a woman, being thought of as little more than a tool for childbirth. They also warn — to varying degrees of success — against churches that are more concerned with power, glory and influence than they are doing good and serving God. 

Jillian Cheney is Religion Unplugged’s Senior Culture Correspondent. She writes about film, TV, music, art, books and more. Find her on Twitter @_jilliancheney.