'Saint Clare' Review - Bella Thorne Gives A Spell-Binding Performance In A Genre-Blending Thriller

Geek Vibes Nation

15-07-2025

Clare Bleecker (Bella Thorne) is nobody's fool. While living in a small town and reeling from tragedy, she spends her nights assassinating people of ill repute. A sole purpose drives her vengeful mission, and Clare finds herself haunted by voices that lead her to commit these gruesome acts. Saint Clare fashions itself as a mystery thriller brimming with subtext; however, the prospects become a little top-heavy, and the film never quite lives up to its outsized expectations. Still, a commanding performance manages to hold the movie together, making it a riveting watch.
Driven by voices that lead her to kill ill-intended people, Clare attempts to live a quiet life with her grandmother in a sleepy town. Essentially friendless, she goes through life, shielding herself from the pain of her past. To the world, Clare appears shy but normal. What she hides is a vengeful killer on special orders. Be it from God or, at the very least, a higher power, she acts with righteous vengeance. When a recent kill sucks her down a rabbit hole, she finds herself tackling corruption, trafficking, and visions from the beyond.
Saint Clare originates from the book 'Clare at Sixteen' by Don Roff. The film is a largely stripped-down version, giving us Clare's backstory through brief exposition and the use of flashbacks. The film establishes her as a modern-day Joan of Arc. However, there are attempts to make her into a real-life Cassandra, particularly as she channels her callings and becomes something of a symbol. As her only friend goes missing, Clare mounts a one-woman crusade that is both a mission of revenge and heroism.
For much of the film, there is a clear prerogative that this is a gritty affair. The addition of a religious subtext to the intense subject matter of human trafficking makes this a white-knuckle thriller. Clare's tough, no-nonsense approach is applause-worthy, even as the film showcases the harsh reality of never-ending violence.
On the one hand, this movie is a straightforward thriller with Clare acting as a vigilante or dark guardian angel. She is depicted as stalking the underbelly of society, moving through with a take-no-prisoners approach. Yet, the movie introduces another element. There's the religious subtext and design to construct Clare as both a Joan of Arc figure with the clairvoyance of a Cassandra, so it should come as no shock that there's a ghostly injection, too.
We meet the character of Bob (Frank Whaley), who acts as a ghostly sidekick to Clare. In addition to being her connection to the great beyond and acting as an advisor, we also learn that he is a past victim of Clare. This angle is unique as it adds a touch of color to the movie's otherwise grim pallor. That being said, it does create a jarring tone. The conflation of thriller and supernatural elements is handled deftly, although at times, the movie seems undecided about which tone to fully embrace.
For the quirks and minor shortcomings, this film allows Bella Thorne to shine. She delivers a brilliant, unhinged performance that showcases tremendous strength. Thorne maneuvers those comedic elements with grace and showcases a raw power. She is like a flickering candle throughout the film. Grasping at the foothold between the light and dark. Once the wick is gone and the flame dies out, the darkness rises. This power is magnetic, transforming Clare into a dark angel heroine, unrelenting and seemingly unstoppable. Thorne balances the duality of the character. Yet, she never overplays it in either direction, instead allowing her performance to breathe even as the action accelerates all around her.
Saint Clare is far from the typical revenge thriller, though it does not shy entirely away from the genre. Where the movie truly finds its calling is in the blending of mysticism and action. When coupled with the showstopping performance by Thorne, this film feels like the opening act to what could, at the moment, be the first of a series.
Saint Clare will debut in select theaters and on digital platforms on July 18, 2025, courtesy of Quiver Distribution.