Saint Maud

Maud’s journey culminates in her attempting to save Amanda’s soul through an intense act of religious fanaticism. Dressed as a saint and wielding religious symbols, she confronts Amanda, who has been playing along with her faith out of boredom or fear. When Amanda begins to question her beliefs and turns into a literal demon in Maud’s eyes, Maud reacts violently and stabs her to death. This act can be seen as the culmination of her delusion—believing she is performing divine work by eradicating evil, but it may also reflect her fractured mental state. Afterward, Maud sets herself on fire on the beach, a symbol of her complete surrender to her faith and her desire for martyrdom.

The ending is deliberately ambiguous. From one perspective, Maud’s visions of divine intervention, angels, and her notion of sainthood could be interpreted as a manifestation of her mental illness and obsessive faith, blurring the line between reality and hallucination. The scene of her burning on the beach, with the image of angel wings on her back and her screaming in agony, might symbolize her belief that she is becoming a saint through suffering. However, the evidence on screen—Amanda’s body lying dead with scissors in her neck—suggests her actions are rooted in her disturbed mind rather than a divine mission. Ultimately, the film leaves it open to viewers to decide whether Maud is a true savior or a tragic and deluded figure consumed by her fanaticism.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:57