Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Communion Girl’

8/15/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Still from ‘The Communion Girl’ Courtesy of Shudder.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘The Communion Girl’. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist.

There was a time when the church was viewed as something pure and wholesome and understandably so. After all, in the United States of America, it was an institution and part of everyday life. Wherein Americans would start their week off within its walls offering praise and worship, followed by grand meals and other activities at the church throughout the week. For it truly was designed to be something communal and positive in nature. Where people could find meaning within faith and help that faith grow in others. But it would seem that those days are long gone in America and in the world as well… courtesy of some hard truths.

In that, the church transformed from a place of humility and servitude to a place of toxicity. Where the trust given to the men of the cloth that spoke the word of God was violated and abused, and what was once place of love and learning in regard to the Bible… transformed into a world of hate. Where close mindedness now rules the day and where not all are welcome, unless of course they have money to fuel the greed of pastors that believe a church to rival an NFL stadium is the only way to worship. And well, the truths about the church are rocking our world and prompting people to leave it behind in droves, and… it is even motivating creatives to finally speak out about the ugliness of the church and its impact upon lives in storytelling. As evidenced by a brand-new horror film on Shudder entitled, The Communion Girl.

For this is a story about a teenager named Sara who is doing her best to just live life to the fullest, and she is in fact, a good person. For she attends church often, obeys her father and mother as best she can, and is even friends with someone that could be considered to be the town misfit in this new place she calls home. But it doesn’t take long for Sara’s world to come crashing down. In part because of the company she keeps, since the townsfolk cannot handle such open-mindedness and kindness, but also because… she is in possession of a Communion Girl doll that comes with spiritual baggage. For it once belonged to a young girl that went missing, and strange things begin to occur once it reaches Sara’s home. The kind of events that leave her concerned that something evil has awakened in this town, and well… those concerns are justified. For a spirit is indeed following Sara and her friends and the only way they can be free of it… is to find the girl and lay her soul to rest.

Which is a plot that first glance seems to be nothing more than a derivative ghost story, and there’s merit to that. After all, we’ve seen countless horror films about ghosts that are crying out for help to be laid to rest or use vengeance to try and obtain peace. But once we get deeper into the story and observe the powerful imagery and subtle moments on display, does it become clear that this story has a lot of criticism to offer regarding the church. Such as how it is supremely judgmental and closed off from the rest of world. As evidenced by how its members are quick to judge Sara and her friends for just being teenagers and question their every decision as ones that are unwholesome and sinful in nature. Not to mention, the movie often explores the generational trauma the church has created, as evidenced by how Sara’s dad treats her in the name of morals of the church, and how he expects her to obey under concern of grave punishment, as was passed onto him by the church.

Yet, its commentary on how troublesome the church has become, and its negative impact goes far deeper than just pointing out its judgmental and abusive ways. For this is a story that touches upon the silent abuse that the church sanctioned in the name of maintaining its image. Courtesy of the priest in this town that goes the extra mile to hide that anything bad in this town happened. And of course… a missing child who disappeared during Communion and has suffered greatly for ages from a spiritual perspective speaks to that abuse and speaks to the long term impact of how the church wounds individuals and how those wounds are lasting and powerful, even after folks leave it behind. For the darkness that endures within its walls has taken root and made it rotten and those elements all make for a powerful story that gives one pause.

However, we would be foolish to not point out, that the darkness in this film extends beyond its bleak commentary. For this is still a horror movie at heart, and a ghost story at that, which means the audience is privy to some solid scares. The kind that are quite gothic in nature when one considers the subject matter, and the scares are indeed quite impactful. Courtesy of the ghost in question and the fury said ghost exhibits to punish the ‘wicked’ in this tale, since that leads to some unsettling kills and an uncomfortable and eerie ending that stays with you long after this story has come to an end. All of which makes this, a must-see horror feature. For it has it all really, gore… solid scares and tributes to the genre’s history and of course… some stunning commentary regarding a topic that needs more discussion since the church is in dire need of reform.

Watch ‘The Communion Girl’

0 Comments