**Petrus:** Michael Mohan, your film “Immaculate” has reached the gates of Heaven, and I must say, it has caused quite a stir.
**Michael Mohan (Director):** I’m honored that it’s been noticed up here, Petrus. I aimed to capture the essence of psychological horror within the confines of a convent.
**Petrus:** Essence? Your film barely scratches the surface of the trials and tribulations faced by those within the Church. A single stoning? The Church has endured far more brutal tests of faith.
**Michael:** I understand, but I wanted to focus on the psychological aspect, the internal struggle of faith, rather than just the physical brutality.
**Petrus:** Psychological struggle does not equate to the omission of the Church’s harsh realities. Your portrayal was sanitized, lacking the visceral impact that would have truly conveyed the narrative’s gravity.
**Michael:** I see. It was not my intention to sanitize the story. The camera work, the perspectives, the movement โ they were all designed to bring the audience into the protagonist’s harrowing experience.
**Petrus:** Yet, the storyline was implausible, filled with unnecessary elements that detracted from the core message. And the jump scares โ they were misplaced, cheap tricks rather than genuine moments of terror.
**Michael:** I admit, the film had its flaws. We may have missed the mark in balancing the story’s believability with its horror elements.
**Petrus:** Your film has sparked debate, that is certain. But here at Heaven’s gates, we seek truth and authenticity. Your depiction of the Church’s challenges was neither brutal nor honest enough to grant you passage.
**Michael:** I understand, Petrus. I’ll take this as a lesson for my future works โ to delve deeper into the truth and present it with the rawness it deserves.
**Petrus:** Reflect upon this, Michael. Only through genuine portrayal can art truly resonate with both the divine and the mortal.
As Mich(a)el stands defeated and silence, the clouds start to shiver. A object breaks through the cloud barrier and stops in front of Mich(a)el. With a calmness he realises that itโs satan, he expected this. With a precise, direct and violent strike the devil separates his head from his body may never see his body again. His head now rests restlessly in front of a 55โ plasma TV watching his movie on repeat. Even for the devil this is a cruel punishment and he is still ashamed of it.ย
2/10