Hermana Muerte

I had the good fortune of seeing this at Sitges Film Festival today, and it delivers. In my experience the Spanish like their horror layered in religion, blood, nuns, blood, self-harm, long psychological turns, blood, religion, harm, and to top it all off add in a narrative of historical reference and voila! To me, it's like there should be a whole other category labeled S-Horror akin to K-Pop or J-Horror. But to the matter at hand!

I loved La Abuela, so have a hard time seeing its rating reaching only 5.9!? To be sure Paco Plaza this time around keeps Sister Death firing on all pistons. The black and white (white and black, if we are being Spanish Spanish) archival elements opening and closing, the completely believable religious environments, and the stupendous set design. Mwah, chef's kiss.

But let's talk SCREAMS. Aria Bedmar may just be the newest Scream Queen. My mind rushed with Linnea Quigley, again and again. And really, I wasn't expecting it, because should I have? Maybe. But man oh man it resonates, along with all the play on sight, eyes, and general ocular type things. Which for the record is not a spolier, just look at the movie poster.

In short, kudos to Plaza on another genuinely engaging horrific (in a good way) romp, give it a go -

The name - Paco Plaza - is almost enough assurance for a horror product to work. Here's a nun movie that's way better than both The Nun entries from The Conjuring universe, and it comes from one-half of the directors of the REC films. This is a prequel to Plaza's 2017 chiller Veronica, focusing on Sister Death's side of things. For a film that just runs for 90 minutes, there's a surprising level of depth in storytelling, and Plaza's use of visual metaphors is on full display here. The "eclipse" aspect is wonderfully incorporated into the storyline, and while the first two acts may come across as slightly less effective from a narrative standpoint, the final act where the dots begin to connect, is truly spectacular. Even in those first two acts, the atmospherics are remarkably set up.

The makers of The Nun films could learn a thing or two, in terms of how to design aesthetically spooky frames. The smart usage of close-up shots, the innovative use of gore, and the commendable performances of the child actors help Sister Death rise above your generic supernatural horror film. The only thing that sort of baffles me, is the makers' decision to add synth beats to a couple of chilling scenes, which made me tune out of the film's madness albeit for a few seconds. I have to say I enjoyed this a bit more than Veronica, and that may (or may not) have to do with how disappointing the recent demonic nun movies have been. This is a solidly packaged pre-Halloween gift indeed.

As Greek Orthodox, the first observation after final credits was : "so...Romano -Catholic".

And, indeed, scene by scene, it reminds themes and atmosphere and motives of this confesion.

In same measure, a profound Spanish film, for precise reference to Civil war traumas to the rules of monastery and Marian aparitions.

Inspired photography, wise crafted story, fair construction of tension and admirable acting. And a great end, the venerable Narcisa in classroom being the great definition of essence of story.

I loved the work of Aria Bedman and the craft of each detail . Not original but beautiful made scene by scene, offering a precise circle of dark past and a honest circle of salvation.

Without spoiler: The movie Starts slow but it picks up the pace and it gets more disturbing with each passing second. For the last 30 minutes I was so tensed by this movie that I couldn't even look away for a fraction of a second, overall the movie is what horror movies should be. Acting is on point and the plot is just outstanding. The only negative point about the movie is that some scenes are unnecessary according to me. Hope we see more movies like this in the future and get part 2 of Veronica. Director should be praised and I think this movie should have been released in theatres rather than Netflix.

"Sister Death" is a remarkable horror film for its stunning cinematography, with a palette of vibrant colors and dazzling lights that, if there were a category for Best Cinematography in Horror at the Oscars, would certainly deserve a nomination. Despite a plot that didn't fully engage me, the evocative atmosphere harks back to independent religious horror productions from the 60s and 70s.

Despite its imperfections, it outperforms previous films with a "nun" theme in the horror genre, such as "The Nun." However, some unresolved issues in the third act leave something to be desired, and there were certain points I didn't quite grasp, which might be due to my lack of recollection about "Veronica," the film to which this serves as a prequel. In summary, "Sister Death" is a visually stunning experience, though a more engaging narrative could have made it truly memorable.