A pious 20-year-old juvenile delinquent is sent to work at a sawmill in a small town; on arrival, he dresses up as a priest and accidentally takes over the local parish. The arrival of this young, charismatic preacher is an opportunity for the local community to begin the healing process after a tragedy that happened a year prior.
The take
Poland's nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2020 Academy Awards may have lost to Parasite, but director Jan Komasa's film is still utterly compelling. The crazy sounding premise is inspired by true events: after having had a transformative experience in jail, an ex-convict, played by the wiry, blue-eyed Bartosz Bielenia, decides he wants to become a priest. When he is told that his criminal history prohibits it, he goes down the path that got him into trouble in the first place and just pretends he is. Apparently, he does so quite convincingly—and serves the community well, which is collectively grieving for the victims of a tragic accident. For all his charisma, there's no way not to root for the crooked clergyman conning his way to the top. The complex character at the heart of Corpus Christi is refreshing and three-dimensional, and the smart writing of the film excels at exploring they grey areas of truth and religion. The ending, too, circumvents the soppy and the melodramatic. Thought-provoking European drama.
Comments
Add a comment
Your name
Your comment
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
The Guilty (2018)
A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.
9.0
His Three Daughters (2024)
Three sisters deal with life and death in this moving family portrait
8.9
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.
8.1
System Crasher (2019)
A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.
9.0
Incendies (2011)
Part melodrama, part war thriller, Incendies is gorgeous and heartbreaking from the first scene
9.9
Wind River (2017)
Sicario's screenwriter directs this story of murder in an Indigenous reserve
9.4
A Silent Voice (2016)
A coming-of-age movie that circles around friendship and the atonement of a boy
8.7
Cold War (2018)
A quiet Polish masterpiece with ravishing music and dazzling visuals
9.2
Short Term 12 (2013)
Sweet, slow-moving, and possibly life-changing, this American drama shines the light on the chaos and crises of social work in America
9.9
Wild Tales (2014)
Co-produced by Pedro Almodóvar, this tumultuous Argentine anthology film tests the limits of human sanity when pushed to the extremes – and will also test yours.