Liam Neeson action thrillers have almost become their own genre. And you can almost always count on getting one in the first few months of the year. This year’s entry is “In the Land of Saints and Sinners”, a gritty yet slightly uneven feature driven by a killer cast and set to the stunning backdrop of the gorgeous Irish countryside. The setting and time period alone are enough to hold your attention. But the movie has a hard time maintaining its energy, often losing itself in its well-intended yet strangely overwritten character-building.

The film comes from director Robert Lorenz who previously worked with Neeson in 2021’s “The Marksman”. Here he’s directing from a script penned by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane. It places Neeson in a role he knows well – that of old grizzled assassin trying to put his old life behind him. It’s a story that we’ve seen on screen many times over. But this one attempts to set itself apart starting with its distinct setting.

Perhaps the most notable difference with “In the Land of Saints and Sinners” is that it takes place in 1974 Northern Ireland, a turbulent time in Irish history known as The Troubles. Lasting nearly 30 years, The Troubles was a multifaceted conflict rooted in political, nationalistic, and ethnic division. It saw growing civil unrest eventually explode into full-on armed conflict. It’s a setting the filmmakers could have explored further, but they do offer enough to wet our appetites.

The movie opens with a gripping and violent prelude (one of the film’s best sequences) that sees IRA terrorist Doireann McCann (Kerry Condon) carrying out the bombing of a Belfast pub. But after some unexpected and tragic collateral damage, Doireann and her four-man crew find themselves all over the news. As a result, they flee the city and meet up outside of the quiet coastal village of Glencolmcille. There they hide out, regroup, and begin planning their next move.

But what they don’t know is that Finbar Murphy (Neeson), an aging contract killer with the obligatory violent past, is living in Glencolmcille. Finbar has created a new identity for himself and is enjoying the quiet, off-the-grid life. He’s made a number of friends among the locals including the town’s police chief Vinnie O’Shea (the always great Ciarán Hinds) and an attractive widow named Rita (Niamh Cusack). But as you can probably guess (especially if you’ve watched any hitman movie), an occupation like his isn’t easy to keep buried.

After Doireann’s unhinged brother Curtis (Desmond Eastwood) crosses a line with a young mother and her daughter, Finbar takes it upon himself to “handle” the situation. It sets in motion a deadly game of cat and mouse between an elder assassin protecting a small village and ruthless terrorists dead-set on revenge. It’s undeniably a combustible situation although one that never lights the kind of fuse that keeps us on the edges of our seats. That’s because the tension that builds is often zapped by stretches of dialogue that, while sometimes interesting, can grind the excitement to a halt.

A few other good names help fill out the movie’s compelling cast of characters including Jack Gleeson as Kevin, a fellow hired killer with a vaguely defined sense of loyalty to Finbar. There’s also Colm Meaney as Robert, a middle-man and friend of Finbar’s. But it’s Neeson’s show and he delivers what is a nicely tempered and nuanced lead performance. The Oscar-nominated Condon is a welcome addition to any project and she certainly makes Doireann a formidable villain. Unfortunately she’s never asked to be anything beyond fiercely intense and perpetually angry.

“In the Land of Saints and Sinners” is a case of having a lot of pieces that are more compelling than the movie is as a whole. That’s not to say it’s bad. Lorenz smartly leans into the film’s strengths, particularly the stellar cast and its intriguing setting. But the movie too often loses itself in its efforts to balance a violent action film with a talky character drama. It’s an admirable ambition and a nice change of pace from the usual Liam Neeson thrillers. But overall it makes for a pretty mixed bag. “In the Land of Saints and Sinners” hits theaters on March 29th.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Sydney Sweeney’s popularity is interesting to consider. I’ve heard some suggest that it’s her busty blonde beauty alone that drives the attention far more than anything acting related. While it’s easy to question the validity of such speculation, especially considering the really good small screen performances in her catalog, Sweeney’s shaky at best big screen work does make you wonder what’s the draw.

Sweeney’s new film “Immaculate” (which she also produces) is a fairly nice change of pace for the 26-year-old actress. It’s yet another entry into the nunsploitation (I love that word) sub-genre that attempts to mix religious and psychological horror. Directed by Michael Mohan and written by Andrew Lobel, the film premiered earlier this month at South by Southwest and received some pretty good early buzz.

In a lot of ways “Immaculate” is just more of the same. We get the creepy religious imagery, the exaggerated spins on Christian theology, and the twisted incorporation of (mostly) Catholic rituals and dogma. Then there are the endless genre gimmicks – creaking doors, eerie figures in the shadows, and those darned flashlights that only halfway work when you need them most. And of course there’s the smattering of cheap jump scares that seem to come baked into nearly every horror movie of our day.

To its credit “Immaculate” is built around a pretty wacky idea – one Mohan and Lobel could have really ran wild with. Sadly the filmmakers leave most of that gonzo potential untapped. Instead they’re content with using their idea for religious shock value rather than with doing anything else. You’ll also notice they introduce several things throughout the movie that mostly go unexplored. It’s a reoccurring frustration that becomes more and more noticeable.

Sweeney plays the wide-eyed and thinly-sketched Sister Cecilia, a sweet young American nun who travels to Italy at the behest of Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) after her Detroit parish closes. Father Tedeschi has invited her to join his isolated convent nestled in the Italian countryside. It has all the spooky amenities courtesy of Adam Reamer’s richly detailed production design. He along with cinematographer Elisha Christian do a good job setting the mood. And it’s especially impressive considering the film’s modest $9 million budget.

Once Sister Cecilia arrives she’s introduced to the crusty Mother Superior (Dora Romano). Later she’s given a tour by the ice-cold Sister Isabelle (Giulia Heathfield Di Renzi). And she eventually befriends the rebellious Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcaroli). But there are some pretty clear signs that not all is as it seems (at least for anyone who has seen a nunsploitation horror flick). And it really comes to a head after Sister Cecilia is discovered to be pregnant despite still being a virgin (hence the movie’s pretty pointed title).

Don’t worry, I won’t spoil the movie’s surprise twist or the crazy place it chooses to go. I’ll just say it does build up some pretty good suspense even with a few noticeable blunders. It all eventually leads to a blood-soaked finish where “Immaculate” takes the form of a campy B-movie while finally letting Sweeney loose. It’s a welcomed shift but not quite enough to deliver an ending that’s as satisfying as it thinks it is.

To its credit, “Immaculate” creates and maintains an eerie atmosphere throughout and it does a good job planting us into its unsettling setting. Meanwhile fans of blood and gore will love some of the things Mohan and his team throw at us. But those things aren’t enough to cover the film’s biggest issue – its script.

It starts with Cecilia who we learn so little about. We’re told of a past tragedy and a dramatic spiritual transformation but only in the vaguest of terms. And we barely get any explanation as to why she would accept an invitation to a convent all the way in Italy. As for the convent, even less is revealed about it and its obvious dark history. There are so many questions. For instance, what’s the deal with those black robed figures in the crimson red masks who pop up at the most random times?

Unfortunately for “Immaculate” it seems some of its bigger interests are in being provocative and shocking (some of the film’s most recent marketing backs that up). It’s a shame because a little more focus on character and storytelling could have made it stand out from the pack. As it is “Immaculate” exists alongside many other movies that basically do the same thing. That will be enough for some. But those wanting more will have to wait for the next nunsploitation movie to come down the pike. “Immaculate” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 2 STARS