Saint Maud

The film opens with Maud sitting in a dark room in a hospital, her face stained with blood while her patient lies dead nearby. She appears to be disturbed and contemplative, staring at a crawling roach, indicating a traumatic or intense experience. This scene sets a dark and unsettling tone for her character's state of mind.

Maud packs her belongings and prays before starting her new role as a caretaker for Amanda Kohl, a former dancer suffering from stage 4 lymphoma. She meets Amanda’s last nurse and begins her assignment, hinting at her desire for spiritual or emotional purpose.

While talking to God and caring for Amanda, Maud experiences an ecstatic sensation, suggesting she feels a supernatural or divine presence surrounding her. This sensation influences her faith-driven outlook and internal conflict.

Maud and Amanda talk about faith, with Amanda expressing fears of death. Maud encourages her to pursue salvation, and they both seem to share a spiritual connection through shared prayers and sensations, strengthening Maud’s devotion.

Maud becomes uncomfortable when Amanda receives visits from Carol, who pays her for sex. Maud fears that this relationship might prevent Amanda from finding salvation, and she warns Carol to stay away, showing her desire to protect Amanda’s spiritual well-being.

During Amanda’s birthday party, Maud criticizes Amanda for her relationship with Carol. Amanda mocks Maud’s faith in front of guests, leading Maud to react violently by smacking her, which results in her being fired. This highlights her increasing obsession with faith and her emotional instability.

Feeling abandoned by God and overwhelmed by her emotions, Maud seeks companionship at a pub. She engages with a man on the bathroom floor and later has sex with another man named Christian, experiencing hallucinations, which reveal her mental unraveling.

While with Christian, Maud hallucinates herself performing CPR on her dead patient and violently crushing Christian’s chest, indicating her inner turmoil and possible trauma or guilt manifesting visually. Christian confronts her about her past as a party girl, further disturbing her.

Maud visits Amanda and asks her to practice her faith again, but Amanda confesses she was faking her spiritual experiences and turns demonic, denying God's existence. This causes Maud to lose control and she stabs Amanda to death, marking a pivotal moment of breakdown.

The following morning, Maud walks to the beach in a white robe, douses herself with acetone, and ignites herself. As she burns, she appears to grow fire wings and is revered by onlookers, symbolizing her complete surrender or transformation, ending in her screaming in agony.