Consecration
IFC Midnight | Release Date: February 10, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
41
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
1
Mixed:
11
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
67
IndieWireJude DryFeb 10, 2023
Both bloody and/or creepy thrills are few and far between, but striking images and standout performances keep it cohesive. Read full review
60
The GuardianCatherine BrayJun 11, 2025
The world of the film feels real, a splendid argument for less green screen, more green fields – kudos to veteran British horror helmer Christopher Smith (Severance). Read full review
58
The PlaylistLena WilsonFeb 9, 2023
This high-concept horror too easily crosses over from charmingly erratic to nonsensical. Read full review
50
The Film StageChristian GallichioMar 9, 2023
While it has interesting things to say about cycles of abuse and the overlap between the church and abusive parents, those ideas are lost in a haze of non-linear storytelling. Even with such problems, this is compelling in individual scenes; if only they added up to anything. Read full review
50
Paste MagazineNatalia KeoganFeb 13, 2023
Though it does hint at the toxicity and conspiratorial nature of a powerful institution, it never finds root in overt observations. It handles too many threads—childhood tragedy, murder cover-ups, clandestine spiritual rites—without the dexterity to effectively weave them together. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreFeb 10, 2023
In a film lacking in real frights, the pathos of a young novitiate’s suicide attempt hits you hard, because it’s one of the few moments in the lovely and lushly-detailed Consecration that makes you feel something. Read full review
50
ColliderMarco Vito OddoFeb 10, 2023
Smith is still a competent director, and Consecration can boast some moments of brilliance sprinkled all over it. However, the messy script drags Consecration down, and fans still expecting a new Triangle will have to wait a little longer. Read full review
45
The Daily BeastNick SchagerFeb 8, 2023
The meager surprises it does contain aren’t particularly effective, considering that early clues suggest only one possible twist and the proceedings do little to mask it. Read full review
40
Film ThreatAlex SavelievJun 3, 2025
Shabbily structured, with barely any tension, characterization, scares, or thematic depth, Consecration, due to its utter lack of inspiration, loses the audience’s concentration within minutes, and may even lead to constipation (okay, maybe not the last part, but you get my drift). Read full review
40
VarietyOwen GleibermanFeb 13, 2023
In Consecration Jena Malone doesn’t just sport a casually impeccable British accent. She becomes British — her mood and manners, the way she rocks the sweaters and bangs and debonair politeness. She creates a compelling character, only to see the film’s director, Christopher Smith, swallow her up in all the ecclesiastical gothic malarkey. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesStaff (Not Credited)Feb 9, 2023
One of the film’s biggest weaknesses is that Smith and Cook withhold key information so they can spring a big twist. When the threat the characters are facing remains so vague for so long, it robs the story of tension. Read full review
40
The New York TimesBrandon YuFeb 9, 2023
The plot, as a result, can’t quite find its momentum; it doesn’t help that most of the film’s scares fall flat on a visual and technical level. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineSteven ScaifeFeb 6, 2023
Consecration ends up not just gimmicky but derivative of Christopher Smith’s own prior work. Read full review
25
RogerEbert.comMarya E. GatesFeb 10, 2023
The film proves to be just another retread of “spooky” Catholic-themed horror tropes without adding any insight or originality to the subgenre. Read full review
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