Year of Release: 2023
Director: Paco Plaza
Starring: Aria Bedmar, Maru Valdivielso, Luisa Merelas, Chelo Vivares, Sara Roch, Olimpia Roch, Adriana Camarena, Martina Delgado, Claudia Fernandez Arroyo, Almudena Amor, Sandra Escacena, Consuelo Trujillo, Arantza Velez, Ainoa Hernandez
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Netflix
Synopsis and Review
Another "Netflix" exclusive release, "Hermana Muerte/Sister Death" is a companion for another successful Paco Plaza feature titled "Veronica" ("Sister Death" is a prequel to that film). The narrative takes place in the late 1940s, when a novice by the name of Narcisa arrives at a Convent, one that has been converted into a school for young girls, following some traumatic events from the Spanish Civil War (which lasted between 1936 - 1939). Narcisa has a reputation to her, since she claimed to have seen holy visions when she was but a young girl. The Mother Superior explains to Narcisa that she is to take the place of Sister Ines, who left the convent, and whose role was that of lecturing the girls. Narcisa starts experiencing odd occurrences from the beginning of her stay, which includes dreadful nightmares, a chair that repeatedly falls on its own, and an incomplete hangman drawing that appears on her wall. One of the students, Rosa, eventually confides to Narcisa that the convent is plagued by a spirit known to every student as "the girl". While Narcisa is teaching the girls about an upcoming solar eclipse, Rosa's name appears on the blackboard. Things quickly escalate from there, with Rosa eventually meeting a sad and brutal demise. Narcisa blames herself for everything, and as she decides to leave the convent, she is caught under the eclipse. While the eclipse blinds her vision, it also opens her eyes to many things that occurred at the convent.
"Hermana Muerte/Sister Death" has similarities to Guillermo Del Toro's "El Espinazo del Diablo/The Devil's Backbone", in the sense that tackles a similar time period in the history of Spain, dealing with the aftermath of terrible events which occurred during the civil war. They're also both dominated by closed off settings (schools and convents), with children being tormented by entities who have a story of pain and wrongfulness to their story. Similarities aside, "Hermana Muerte" takes a different turn, by focusing on the story of a sister who lives with a lot of self questioning, and whose existence is forever changed by what she witnesses and experiences in the convent. Paco Plaza thankfully takes a decidedly tamer perspective in tackling the supernatural in the film, opting instead for a methodical description and representation of the setting and habits that both students and educators have in the somewhat restrictive space. This definitely isn't trailing on the path of "The Conjuring" universe, attempting instead a more credible re-enacting of what convent life would look like in that time period. Some of the issues lying with this film are tied to the fact that Narcisa, and both the students and the other nuns at the convent, aren't given much in terms of motivation or even clarification on who they actually are (some of the nuns are more vicious than others, but that's hardly a descriptor). The story does develop progressively, with the director smartly avoiding gratuitous jump scares, but by the time the final chapter comes along and everything is revealed, there really isn't a huge surprise to what is unveiled. What indeed is the most solid and impactful aspect of the film, is precisely the authentic aspect of convent life and schooling that takes place in it. The supernatural aspect of the storyline just doesn't necessarily feel as an organic extension of that universe. The cast is uniformly solid, with Aria Bedmar having a solid central performance. The production team is equally solid, though the cinematography appears a bit too bright at times. It's an interesting take on this type of genre, even if not the most effective one.
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