Immaculate

The movie begins at an Italian convent, showcasing Sister Mary (Simona Tabasco) in a moment of prayer before she clandestinely waits for the Mother Superior (Dora Romano) to sleep, aiming to steal her keys. Her attempt to flee reaches a shocking halt when her fellow nuns catch her and cause a severe injury by breaking her leg at the gate. Subsequently, Mary finds herself trapped and screaming inside a coffin.

Simultaneously, a newcomer, Sister Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney), arrives at the same convent to pledge her commitment to the religious life. She is introduced to Mother Superior and receives a guided exploration of the convent from Sister Isabelle (Giulia Di Renzi), who points out the essentials and explicitly mentions the prohibition of the catacombs. Cecilia is also introduced to her new companion, Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcoroli).

Sister Cecilia solemnly takes her vows in the presence of Cardinal Franco Merola (Giorgio Colangeli) and Father Sal Tedeschi (Alvaro Morte). In a modest festivity following the ceremony, Cecilia shares with Tedeschi her near-death experience of surviving a submersion in icy water, during which her heart ceased for seven minutes. Tedeschi perceives this harrowing incident as divine intervention, suggesting that Cecilia is destined for a unique purpose.

Cecilia begins her responsibilities at the convent, which range from caring for the elderly in their moments of need to preparing chickens for meals. She encounters a robed, masked convent member who had fainted, only to be dismissed when she tries to help. Subsequently, she observes a woman with cross-shaped burns on her feet. Cecilia experiences a disturbing vision where she's attacked by figures resembling the faint woman, using a nail alleged to be from Jesus's crucifixion, only to awaken and realize it was a nightmare.

While bathing, Cecilia is shocked to find herself vomiting and after a medical examination and inquiries by Merola and Tedeschi, it's revealed she's miraculously pregnant despite her virginity. The convent views her as a modern-day Virgin Mary, a role that leaves Cecilia feeling trapped and burdened.

In her second trimester, Sister Isabelle, in a jealous fury, tries to drown Cecilia, insisting she was the rightful recipient of such a miracle. Isabelle's despair culminates in her suicide from the chapel's rooftop. Meanwhile, Sister Gwen grows increasingly vocal about her doubts and concerns regarding the convent's mysteries, facing efforts from others to keep her quiet.

During the night, Cecilia is disturbed by cries for help and stumbles upon a horrifying scene where Gwen, as retribution for her defiance, is bound to a chair and silenced by the removal of her tongue. Her explorations also lead her to a hidden laboratory, where she finds numerous jars containing embryos.

One day, Cecilia's agonizing screams alarm the others, who discover her drenched in blood, suggesting a grave complication with her pregnancy. However, when Tedeschi takes her for medical attention, a nun uncovers the true source of the blood: a decapitated chicken hidden under Cecilia's bed. The discovery prompts Tedeschi to deduce Cecilia's deception, leading to her capture and the branding of her feet to hinder any future escape attempts. Tedeschi then reveals their grandiose plan to induce the second coming of Christ using DNA from the crucifixion nails and selecting a virgin mother. The aborted attempts at this divine creation are what filled the jars Cecilia found. Her miraculous survival from the icy lake is cited as the sign that she was the chosen one.

In her third trimester, Cecilia is tormented by the potential divine or demonic nature of her unborn child. During an ultrasound session, she seizes a crucifix and fatally strikes the Mother Superior, then employs her rosary to kill Merola. As she goes into labor, Cecilia targets the laboratory, planning to destroy it with ethanol. Tedeschi confronts her, but she manages to light the ethanol, causing an explosion. Though Tedeschi survives and breaks free from the flames, Cecilia takes this chance to flee once more.

Navigating her way through the catacombs, Cecilia encounters the lifeless body of Gwen. In her bid for freedom, she is assaulted by Tedeschi, who has survived but is severely disfigured by burns. He attempts to extract the infant from her womb. In self-defense, Cecilia uses a concealed nail to pierce Tedeschi's throat, effectively ending his life.

Emerging from the catacombs, Cecilia endures excruciating pain as she delivers the baby, severing the umbilical cord with her teeth. The child's cries are not of a normal infant but are filled with a disturbing, non-human sound, hinting at its ominous nature. Overcome with a mix of fear and resolve, Cecilia lifts a hefty rock, her screams echoing as she decides to eliminate the nefarious entity she has birthed.