Sister Death is a visually stunning horror film with great set and costume design, an unsettling atmosphere, and a lack of music that heightens the suspense.
The Verónica prequel explores the origins of Sister Narcisa's blindness and her battle against faith and religion, uncovering dark secrets and tortured souls.
Director: Paco Plaza
Writer: Jorge Guerricaechevarría
Stars: Aria Bedmar, Almudena Amor, Maru Valdivielso
Although it has few scares, Paco Plaza creates a terrifying atmosphere for fans of religious horror, and Aria Bedmar gives a fantastic performance as the main character.
Sister Death is a visually impressive horror film in the sense that it is well shot, has great set design, and wonderful costumes and makeup, all of which help create the ghostly atmosphere of a specific time and place. The old-school 4:3 aspect ratio continues a surprising new trend in smaller films in recent years (A Ghost Story, First Reformed, Son of Saul, American Honey), and allows the images to really pop, which makes the images stand out a lot. More claustrophobic and clear film. The lack of music for most of the film elevates the already suspenseful and scary tone. Aria Bedmar is impeccable as the protagonist and is the next great scream queen of Spain.
It's almost impossible not to compare Sister Death to another 2023 horror film involving nuns, The Nun II. Fortunately, Sister Death is a far superior horror film and arrives just in time for Halloween.
Created entirely around a brief quote from Verónica, with Sister Narcisa, the blind nun, mentioning that she caused her own blindness, Sister Death follows Narcisa (Aria Bedmar) as she is welcomed into a convent after the disappearance of one of the other nuns. Upon her arrival, Sister Narcisa begins to unravel dark secrets and a terrifying mystery that will force Narcisa to question her faith.
Sister Narcisa was one of Veronica's most compelling characters of 2017. But having an entire movie focused on her and the origins of how she became blind wasn't a big aspect of Veronica that plagued our brains, and something we weren't exactly dying for about to see. However, Sister Death proves us wrong. Narcissa's story, with her battle against faith and religion, is fascinating. Her past with the supernatural is terrifying at first, until she and the audience discover that her gift is to help uncover the dark secrets of the monastery and the tortured souls that inhabit it.
Sister Death is very light on shocks. That's very surprising considering that director Paco Plaza, co-creator of the great fast zombie franchise [REC] and director of Veronica, is known for producing some of the most intense jump scares in horror history. Instead, Plaza creates a sinister atmosphere that generates more fear than any shock.
Sister Death continues the great tradition of religious horror codified by Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist but which existed long before and continues through masterpieces like Saint Maud. Whether it's the idea of God-respecting individuals succumbing to the hands of the devil, the feeling of abandonment and spiritual isolation, or simply the fact that ancient rituals, myths, and traditions can be creepy in themselves, religious horror has a very specific. of discomfort.
While it's a little disappointing that a Plaza film doesn't have many visceral jump scares, the director makes up for it with his haunting imagery. Plaza offers numerous unforgettable scenes and suspenseful moments. Whether it's Narcissa spitting out two eyeballs after thinking she'd eaten something else, the terrifying images of a ghost playing the role of a hangman, brilliant foreshadowing, or the scene where Narcissa goes blind, there's still plenty here for horror fans, And what is more important. religious horror fans to chew on and worship.
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