Stigmata begins when Father Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) visits a Brazilian church to investigate a weeping statue of the Virgin Mary. The camera flicks back and forth between the statue, which weeps bloody tears, and the deceased Father Almeida, who was a highly regarded priest in the community. As Kiernan collects his samples, a mysterious wind picks up inside the church. Candles flicker and go out. Doves fly helter-skelter, and the congregation cries out, “Isn’t this proof enough?”

Kiernan, a scientist before he became a priest, is not convinced that this is a miracle. He gathers his samples and leaves the church.

The camera cuts to another, seemingly insignificant scene where a blond woman buys a rosary from a street vendor. Then we are introduced to Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette), a self-proclaimed atheist who lives the typical 20-something lifestyle. Her mother calls her from Brazil to ask her about a package she had sent. Frankie opens it and pulls out the rosary.

That night, she returns home and slips into the bathtub. She is lying there, worrying about whether or not she is pregnant, when an unseen force pulls her under the water and stabs her in the wrists. Doctors at the ER immediately jump to the conclusion that her wounds are self-inflicted, and her friends begin to wonder if she’s losing her sanity. When she is attacked again, this time by lashings on her back, Father Kiernan is sent by the Vatican to investigate her case.

At first, Kiernan doesn’t believe that Frankie is suffering from a stigmata because she is an atheist. Only the devoutly religious are prone to this affliction. He soon finds out that what he was taught was wrong and begins to question his faith and his loyalty to the Catholic church.

Stigmata is a fast-paced thriller that challenges the tenets of the Catholic faith. While there are plenty of supernatural elements to this story, there is no heart-stopping horror or chills. I found myself following the intellectual aspect of the film. Why was this girl afflicted with this condition? Why was the church trying to cover it up? These questions were answered in a satisfactory way.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie, although I had expected it to be a horror movie similar to The Exorcist. It is not, which is okay because I’ve already seen that. Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne had a good chemistry, which made the film even more enjoyable. Highly recommended.