The Penitent

The Penitent

Movie 1988-05-27 1h 30m Horror Drama Thriller Crime
★ 6.6 / 10 · 5 votes

The Penitent (1988) isn’t faith-affirming drama—it’s lurid exploitation mocking Catholic penitents. In a devout New Mexico/Mexico village reenacting Christ’s Passion (flagellation, crucifixion), jealous husband Ramon (Raúl Juliá) joins fanatical Penitentes while his virginal wife Celia falls for ex-con friend Juan (Armand Assante), sparking deadly love triangle amid rituals. Directed by Cliff Osmond, it sensationalizes "primitive brutal" self-mortification as barbaric cult, blending sex, betrayal, and gore—not exploring redemption or biblical penance. Secular gaze shames Hispanic Catholic traditions as repressed pathology. Cherry-picks extremism to caricature piety, ignoring healthy devotion. Obscure PG-13 thriller for grindhouse fans, not believers.

Status
Released
Released
1988-05-27
Runtime
1h 30m
Studios
The Vista Organization , Ithaca
Country
Mexico
Language
English
Links
IMDb, Wikidata, Letterboxd
Director
Cliff Osmond
Cast
Raúl Juliá Raúl Juliá Ramon Guerola Armand Assante Armand Assante Juan Mateo Martin LaSalle Martin LaSalle Miguel Rona De Ricci Rona De Ricci Celia Guerola Julie Carmen Julie Carmen Corina Demián Bichir Demián Bichir Roberto Tina Romero Tina Romero Susana Justo Martínez Justo Martínez Enfermero Enrique Novi Enrique Novi Jose
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