Directed and co-written by Christopher Smith (Detour), Consecration combines the supernatural, a protagonist's troubled past, and the unexplainable in this religious horror mystery. Laurie Cook joins Smith in penning the script, but as the story unfolds, viewers are left with holes to fill, waiting for a payoff that comes woefully short.
Working in a profession to improve her patients' vision, Grace (Jena Malone) begins to see a number of new things herself, once she arrives at a convent in Scotland to investigate what happened to her brother. She immediately dismisses the initial report of a murder-suicide that the Mother Superior (Janet Suzman) had communicated to Inspector Harris (Thoren Ferguson). Troubled by what she initially sees and experiences, Grace is pleased that at least Father Romero (Danny Huston) seems to want to be helpful. The more time Grace spends in the convent, however, the more hallucinations and disturbing images she sees, not only from the past, but also from the future. Beyond this, there is a mysterious relic that is sought after, that her brother may have uncovered, and which the convent claims will threaten the power of the Church.
There are some clever elements that are present. Grace's character has more to it than meets the eye, so to speak. Her abilities as it relates to vision are multi-layered, and that is woven in nicely by the filmmakers. There is also this question of good vs. evil that is not as black and white as one may expect. This adds some level of intrigue, but these aspects are not enough to save the movie, and eventually the intrigue gives way to bewilderment, as the plot holes are aplenty. While it is clear that there is something shady happening at the convent, and there are things to be uncovered, only the surface is scratched. And in the end, the story only raises more questions about the goings on. It might not be helped by the sequence of flashbacks and flashforwards, but ultimately, it's not clear how the film ends up where it does. What's more, the saga starts slowly and continues to bore the audience as it crawls towards the unsatisfactory final act. The scare factor is weak, the logic is questionable, and the acting is average. Huston's and Malone's performances are decent, though the latter is not credible when her character is grief-stricken.
Rated R for bloody violent content and language, Consecration falls short in entertainment value. Something has gone way wrong at this Scottish convent, but something also went wrong in bringing the story to moviegoers. It could appeal to viewers who are in the mood for this style of film. But they should be prepared to scratch their heads a few times and be aware that this slow burn is more of a simmer.