Was an enjoyable movie to watch. Watching in 2020 with an awareness of the underlying corruption within the Christian church, it has a strong message.

As a skeptical person, the preachy tone of the movie kind of annoys me, not enough to make me stop, but it does make me have a more biased opinion about such religious thriller/suspense. In one hand I found the scary scenes really boring and in no way scary, in the other hand, the point that if a person lives a life of mainly hedonistic pleasures won't find happiness is something I believe as well. While I'm not the norm, one doesn't need to be religious to avoid alcoholic beverages, the use of heavy drugs and other hedonistic pleasures. That said, the part where one doesn't need the church to be religious was actually a nice message. One does not need an institutionalized religion/church to be religious and/or spiritual. Being an agnostic atheist doesn't make one already a hater of religion in itself (especially since I also take some of its teachings - and from other religions - to heart) but it does make me wary of such organized religious groups like the Catholic Church, or cults like the Church of Scientology. Regardless of such ideological and moralistic debate, this movie didn't age well, especially if you identify yourself as an atheist, agnostic or whatever definition based on skepticism and rationality to heart. Hell, I don't think that even a religious person would like this movie that much, regardless of its position of organized religion.

A provocative thriller, _Stigmata_ is a powerful and well-crafted film that takes on deep issues. When a young woman in New York City begins to experience signs of Stigmata (the wounds of Christ), a Vatican investigator is send to look into the case; but the deeper he looks, the more troubling the case becomes. Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne lead the cast and give excellent performances. Additionally, the visual style is remarkably captivating and atmospheric. The score by Billy Corgan is also especially good, and enhances the dark and mystical tones of the material. Dealing with controversial spiritual and religious themes, _Stigmata_ is a smart and thoughtful film that’s intense and compelling.

The new gospel through Patricia and Pittsburgh.

“Stigmata” tries very hard to be a 90s update of "The Exorcist." And the 90s vibe really isn't something that has aged particularly well. Otherwise, it's a very generic religious horror thriller in which, to be honest, not all that much happens. But at least the cast is respectable, both in the lead and supporting roles. For people with extreme nostalgia for the 90s, “Stigmata” is certainly a solid choice overall, but I admittedly found it very mediocre.