Though heavier on the drama than the horror, “Sister Death” is a chilling Spanish horror prequel that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
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Sister Death (Hermana Muerte) is a Spanish-language film directed by Paco Plaza about a novice nun known to have supernatural powers that allow her to see holy visions. It is a prequel to the 2017 movie titled Verónica.
We all know that any horror movie paired with churches, nuns, and priests will never be a good combination for someone who gets scared easily.
It’s National Hispanic Heritage Month. So, even if you don’t typically watch foreign films with subtitles, it’s a great time to make an exception and expand your horror horizons.
Keep reading for my detailed thoughts on the film and why I found it to be an affecting experience. Be forewarned, however, that there are significant plot spoilers ahead. If you’d rather remain unspoiled, skip ahead to my Final Thoughts.
The movie can currently be watched exclusively on Netflix, although I hope it will soon be available on Spanish TV.
The Story (Spoilers Ahead)
Sister Narcisa is a gifted young girl. Because of her supernatural abilities, the townsfolk highly regarded her. Ten years later, she arrived at a convent that became an all-girls school after the Red Terror. Sister Julia and Mother Superior welcomed her. Mother Superior was delighted to see the holy girl in the convent and expressed her enthusiasm. Now, she’s assigned to be the lecturer of the girls who belonged to Sister Inés before she left the convent.
In her room, she saw a box with scissors, photographs, and a strange drawing of a hangman that changed as days passed by. There’s also a wooden chair that moves by itself. Sister Narcisa has her insecurities about her so-called gift, and she even tells Mother Superior that she thinks she’s not yet ready to lecture the girls.
There’s a young girl in her class who’s quite special, just like she is. Her name is Rosa, and she is able to see spirits. Since she set foot in the convent, a lot of strange things started happening, and the young girls seemed like they knew what was happening. Sister Narcisa is unaware of the history of what happened and what’s happening around here.
But one thing’s for sure: it’s not good.
Fast forward to the part where Sister Narcisa discovers the horrifying truth about what happened to one of the nuns in the convent.
She saw that Sister Socorro, one of the nuns, was the one who stayed in the room she was occupying. Sister Socorro was raped by one of the men during the war. And unfortunately, she got pregnant. The other nuns, including Mother Superior and Sister Julia, decided to keep the child’s existence from the public eye, so they raised her in the convent.
One day, Sister Socorro’s child got sick. She insisted that they should go to the hospital, but the nuns didn’t like the idea. Instead, they took the child to the bathroom to lower her temperature, even though the child was agitated. She hit her head in the tub, which caused her death. Sister Soccoro, realizing her child is gone, committed suicide in her room – now the room of Sister Narcisa.
Realizing what happened, Sister Narcisa unleashed Sister Socorro’s spirit to take revenge on Sister Julia and Mother Superior. After several decades, Sister Narcisa, who is now nicknamed by some as Sister Death, meets Verónica.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I like this film more as a beautiful cinematic experience than I do as a horror film. As someone who gets scared quite easily, I probably only had two or three moments where anything made me jump or gasp. However, I loved the twist, felt the performances were stellar, and thought the jumpscares (though few) were effective. It could have been enhanced by a more eerie atmosphere. Still, it was well made and investing, and it’s a solid choice for those looking to explore some great Spanish horror.
Overall Rating (Out of 5 Butterflies): 3.5
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