[5] Maria is a 14-year-old girl in a family attached to a Traditionalist Catholic organization,[a] who has dedicated her life to serving God.

Over the course of 14 long takes, each echoing and named after the Stations of the Cross which Jesus endured on his path to Golgotha, Maria attempts a path of self-inflicted religious ascesis in the hope that God will cure her younger brother of autism.

Rotten Tomatoes gave the film 91% out of 23 votes, with an average rating of 7.4/10.

[7] The critics consensus states that the film is "A drama of thought-provoking depth as well as a showcase for newcomer Lea van Acken, Stations of the Cross hits hard and leaves a lingering impact.

"[7] On Metacritic, the film has a rating of 68 out of 100, from 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".