“Immaculate” is a step above director Michael Mohan and Sydney Sweeney’s previous collaboration, “The Voyeurs,” yet it lacks the memorably bloody punch that can make religious horror so spine-tingling.

Far from home, American nun Sister Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney) joins a winsome, secretive Italian convent, only to experience a miracle beyond human comprehension. 

Stuck within the convent’s walls, Cecilia must uncover if her miracle was divine intervention or a hellish ploy.

Religious horror films tend to scratch a taboo itch in the back of filmgoers’ minds. 

Whether it’s “The Exorcist” or “Hereditary,” the subgenre has continued thriving for decades. Although “Immaculate” isn’t a dreadful watch, it does represent a plateau in quality, not showcasing anything outstanding or particularly memorable. 

Similar to the aforementioned “Hereditary,” “Immaculate” attempts to provide a more elevated horror experience with its imagery and story beats, yet it never quite hits the landing. Why? Because its use of elevated horror troupes is deep only. 

It offers the technical wonders you would find in the subgenre, but the horror flick doesn’t present any subtext worth chewing on. 

It comes close to discussing the relationship between femininity and religion yet tiptoes around it, too afraid to offend its audience. 

While narrative nuance is sorely missing, it’s hard to ignore how much of a treat the film is visually.

The cinematography doesn’t feature a wide range of colors, consisting of whites, blacks and burning yellows. 

Although minimal, the colors give the film a confining atmosphere, aiding the movie’s strong use of physical and spiritual isolation. 

When it does stray away from this color palette, it does so with good reason, giving the film’s polarizing third act a unique flavor.

The film’s final 20 minutes will be a common topic of discourse between those who have watched it. 

Although horror veterans won’t find it anything special, it could easily strike a chord with general audiences with its twisted reveals and intense chase scene.

Over the past five months, Sydney Sweeney has been featured on the silver screen nonstop, starring in the box office smash hit “Anyone But You,” Marvel and Sony’s “Madame Web” and the recent “Immaculate.”

Her heavy presence hasn’t been intolerable, but it is beginning to feel strained. 

She delivers a quality performance in the film, yet it’s hard to believe this is a real character, not just Sydney Sweeney in a horror flick.

The final puzzle piece that could have made “Immaculate” stand out in its genre would have been a distinctive, cult-inspired world to build upon, yet it seems that the puzzle piece slipped between the cracks. 

A few moments of intrigue are scattered throughout, but any small attempt at worldbuilding comes off as rather silly or uninteresting. 

A way in which the film could have avoided this would have been through unique production design or costuming.

What is in the film is serviceable, but it lacks an identity, relying solely on what audiences are used to imagining for nun-filled cults. 

The film’s only notable costuming piece is a gold-decorated headpiece Sweeney’s character wears at the halfway point of the movie. More of this would have been appreciated.

The religious horror flick delivers enough spooks and pleasing cinematography to be a somewhat enjoyable watch, but it fails to leave a lasting impression, doomed to fade into limbo.

“Immaculate” was released March 22 and is now in theaters.