Secret Ceremony

On a bus in London, Leonora, an ageing prostitute, is approached by a waiflike young woman named Cenci who utters the word 'mummy'. The encounter plants the seed of a strange connection between the two women. This initial moment triggers the subsequent, uneasy bond that drives the story.

Cenci trails Leonora to a cemetery where she mourns her drowned daughter. Leonora notices a striking resemblance between Cenci and her late child, which unsettles her and deepens the mystery around Cenci. The moment hints at a complex, surrogate-mother dynamic forming between them.

Moved by Cenci's plea and drawn by her own troubled past, Leonora agrees to accompany her to an opulent mansion. She discovers that she bears a strong resemblance to Cenci’s late mother, Margaret, adding an eerie layer to their connection. The two decide that Leonora will live with Cenci as her surrogate mother.

Leonora hides when Cenci's aunts, Hannah and Hilda, unexpectedly visit the mansion. The aunts antagonize Cenci while surreptitiously stealing valuable objects, an act Leonora silently witnesses. The scene signals danger within the household and foreshadows further manipulation.

The next day, Leonora visits Hannah and Hilda at their antique shop, posing as Margaret's cousin. The aunts reveal that Cenci cared for Margaret during her illness and refused to accept her death, and they disclose that Cenci is 22 years old. They also recount that Margaret threw out Cenci's stepfather, Albert, after suspecting trouble.

Back at the mansion, Albert visits and, after trimming his beard, asks Cenci to reproduce the moaning sounds they had during their sex. She initially refuses but eventually complies, allowing him to kiss her. The scene intensifies the disturbing power dynamic surrounding Cenci.

Leonora returns to the mansion to find Cenci shaken, cowering under a sink and recounting Albert's visit. The moment underscores the danger and emotional turmoil surrounding Cenci's relationships. Leonora’s protective concern deepens as she contemplates their dangerous bond.

Leonora and Cenci check into a luxurious seaside hotel to escape the mansion's tensions. The next morning, Cenci arrives at the dining room sporting a fake baby bump, and Leonora is stunned but plays along with the ruse. The staged pregnancy reveals Cenci's delusions and the precariousness of their situation.

Albert arrives on the beach and confronts Leonora, declaring that Cenci is mentally unstable and had repeatedly tried to seduce him. The confrontation starkly exposes the fragility of Cenci's circumstances and solidifies the peril surrounding all three.

Back in the hotel room, Cenci kisses Leonora's back while a tension-filled moment unfolds; Leonora then violently tears off the fake baby bump, exposing the illusion of her condition. Cenci descends into a frenzy, illustrating the volatility of her psyche. The act shatters the fragile control both women have over the situation.

Cenci returns to London, overdoses on pills, and dies, marking a cruel end to her troubled life. The act leaves Leonora reeling as she contemplates their ruined bond and the hollowness of the surrogate mother arrangement. The death also intensifies the tension leading into the funeral.

At Cenci's funeral, Leonora stands beside Albert in silence before pulling out a knife and stabbing him to death. The act symbolizes her dramatic response to the adults who manipulated Cenci and contributed to her ruin. The scene culminates in a grim, vengeful finale.

After the violence, Leonora lies on her bed and listlessly hits the cord of a ceiling lamp while reciting a nursery rhyme about perseverance. The closing image emphasizes the film's haunting meditation on resilience in the face of trauma. The rhyme reinforces the bleak cycle of care and control that defined their relationship.