Mitzi Peirone’s 2018 first characteristic “Braid” was a sequence of kinky dress-up video games posing as a thriller, one which valued fashion over substance to such a degree that there was virtually nothing strong for a viewer to hold onto. Her sophomore effort, “Saint Clare,” takes a step in the best route, with Guinevere Turner onboard as co-writer in adapting Don Roff’s 2021 novel “Clare at Sixteen.” That injects a better diploma of narrative backbone to this car for Bella Thorne as a younger girl in a small city uniquely outfitted to cope with a plague of probably deadly disappearances — she is a kind of serial killer herself, albeit one who solely preys upon predators. 

The guide (which commenced an ongoing sequence) has been described as a “delightfully darkish teen horror comedy” paying homage to “Heathers.” Peirone’s movie doesn’t hit that tonal mark, nevertheless, aiming as an alternative for an unsteady mixture of quasi-slasher, fever dream, youth rom-com, investigative thriller and revenge fantasy. Once more, the aesthetics appear extra fussed over than the suspense mechanics or character definition. However these on the lookout for a cool-looking mixture of grrl energy and style tropes might discover this indie manufacturing diverting sufficient.

Launched repeating a mantra purportedly spoken by Joan of Arc (“All the things I’ve mentioned and executed has been within the palms of God. I used to be born to do that. I’m not afraid.”), Thorne’s Clare Bleecker is a conflicted scorching mess who’s simply moved for the nth time since dropping her mother and father years earlier than. Upgraded from teen to collegian to go well with the actress solid, she’s now dwelling with grandmother Gigi (Rebecca De Mornay) and attending college courses in leafy Pickman Flats. However its woods solely serve to remind her of a childhood incident through which she single-handedly saved peer campers from a random maniac. Since then, she’s equally served chilly justice to different perps, together with a leering goon (Bart Johnson) who finagles her right into a “journey house” from a bus cease for apparent nefarious functions. His untimely demise, nevertheless, doesn’t cease extra younger ladies from going lacking, as they’ve hereabouts for 3 many years.

Although equally tormented and compelled by her victimizer-victimizing mission, Clare is quickly sniffing out questionable habits amongst her classmates. They embody Drama Dept. princess Amity (Erica Dasher), her ex-boyfriend Wade (Dylan Flashner), examine associate Juliana (Pleasure Rovaris) and campus photographer Truman (Jan Luis Castellanos). In the meantime Clare’s personal poorly-alibi’d hours spent sleuthing and snuffing unhealthy guys additionally entice suspicion, notably from grandma and police Detective Timmons (Ryan Philippe).

Add to the above potential intercourse trafficking, flashbacks, goals, a pleasant comedic ghost (Frank Whaley) nobody however Clare can see and the varsity’s cross-dress manufacturing of Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap” (with Joel Michaely as a gratingly old-school “screaming queen” stage director), and there are greater than sufficient plot parts right here to chart. The difficulty is, Peirone doesn’t appear a lot inquisitive about mapping out any cogent storytelling path. She’s extra drawn to making an attempt out completely different visible methods, treating sequences as stand-alone setpieces divided by blackouts, somewhat than constructing any cumulative intrigue or stress. The result’s stimulating however near arbitrary, with too many flashy montages and a giallo-like paucity of inside logic. 

That lack of focus extends to Clare herself: The movie by no means fairly decides whether or not it needs to current her as caustically assured, PTSD-riddled, an avenging superheroine or delusionally harmful. Thorne carries the film, albeit extra as a glam, mercurial star flip than a fully-rounded character. When Clare is supposed to be struggling a meltdown, her histrionics needn’t rise from a palpable psychological area — what’s vital is that the digital camera and enhancing seize the hyperactive second. Different issues simply get misplaced within the litter, just like the “why” of Grandma Gigi’s edginess, sporadic Catholic non secular imagery or Whaley’s vanishing from an excellent chunk of the runtime. Variably arch and pretentious notes within the dialogue do zilch to assist make clear such issues.

Nonetheless, the penchant for flamboyant visible and audio gambits retains “Saint Clare” full of life in textural phrases, even when after some time it hardly appears to matter who’s doing what horrible factor to whom. Whereas they don’t actually heighten stress, the new colours and loopy angles in Luka Bazeli’s cinematography, in addition to Zola Jesus’ pulsating digital rating, all contribute to a way that that is an assertive directorial imaginative and prescient — although arguably Peirone has but to pen or discover materials that can ideally serve her generally over-busy fashion. 

You would possibly assume a narrative a couple of probably schizophrenic heroine would offer that match. However regardless of a stronger premise this time, “Clare” echoes the filmmaker’s prior characteristic in remaining on a extremely labored floor — one which doesn’t illuminate folks and occasions a lot as treats them like ornamental pawns in a recreation whose guidelines, in addition to its casualties, finally really feel inconsequential. 

“Saint Clare” shall be launched in U.S. theaters, on demand and through digital platforms on July 18.