To what extent are faith and religion truly synonymous? This is a wildly blasphemous question I asked myself during Jan Komasa’s Corpus Christi, a film in which a recently paroled juvenile offender named Daniel (Bartoz Bielenia) illegitimately poses as a priest in a small Polish town reeling from loss and tragedy. As Daniel grows further entwined in the town’s affairs, and as he continues to unravel the mystery of what really occurred long ago, the core of his faith will be tested like it has never been before.

Generally speaking, films with strong performances tend to play well at film festivals. Here is no exception, as those who champion this film will likely start with the truly embodied performance from Bartoz Bielenia. He is truly present within the frame throughout the course of the film, and whenever he is slated to preach the film becomes charged with energy.  Furthermore, the cinematography is gorgeous. Corpus Christi has a cohesive structure to it, albeit one predicated on a lie.

Yet, Komasa could probably do with a tighter cut. Again, this is already an uncomfortable film as it ostensibly built upon a lie. Some scenes seem to drag, and some slight edits would probably help the audience buy more into the diegesis. Likewise, the film’s ultimate endpoint, is nowhere near as strong as its penultimate one. Corpus Christi is a solid film, with a lot to recommend and some noticeable rough edges.