THE FUSE

As the great Aretha Franklin taught us, it’s usually a backhanded approach to begin a critique with praise for the gowns. Or gown, in the case of “Sacred Creatures,” a microbudget hothouse drama otherwise not given to ostentatious styling. Still, it’s a pretty defining dress. Worn for the bulk of the running time by enigmatic focal character Miriam (Olivia Luccardi), it’s both shapeless and striking, equal parts haute couture showstopper and military parachute, while even its color is hard to pin down: regal gold in some lights, bilious chartreuse in others. In a tall tale of a fey outsider elevated to cult-leader status by a passionate mob, costume designer Francesca Cibischino is to be commended on creating a garment that captures both the otherworldly godliness that others see in its wearer, and the girlish absurdity that we do.