Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, peril in Spanish convent-set horror prequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Sister Death
What's the Story?
In SISTER DEATH, Ines, known as Sister Narcisa (Aria Bedmar), has just moved into a convent in 1949 Spain. She is well-known because as a child she was considered to have been imbued with divine power and was known as "the holy girl." Now, however, she's struggling from a lack of fervent faith. Already uncertain when she arrives at the nunnery, strange events begin to shake her confidence even more. The schoolgirls who live there talk of a ghost, and some of the older nuns are not very welcoming, particularly Sister Julia (Maru Valdivielso). Ines starts seeing things and having violent nightmares. Is she going crazy, or are the children correct and the convent is haunted by spirits who wish them evil?
Is It Any Good?
Capitalizing on Spanish artifacts with intrinsically unsettling possibilities, like Catholicism and the country's civil war, this film brings the creeps without really proposing deeper meaning. Sure, atrocities in the civil war a decade earlier make up part of the backstory behind the apparitions and frightful events in a convent in 1940s Spain, but Sister Death is more concerned with style than substance. It's also built around a character from director Paco Plaza's previous cult hit, Veronica.
Stylish it is (starting with its fabulous poster), with notable use of chiaroscuro, Catholic iconography, and chilling scenes of characters (including children and nuns) experiencing fear, torture, and death. It would be hard to enter a confessional booth very soon after watching this film. Sister Death plays more interestingly as a mystery than straight horror, which might disappoint some genre fans. Actress Bedmar also makes a compelling feature debut, but this is a film that won't likely linger in the subconscious long after the end credits roll.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether justice is served in Sister Death. Were the punishments excessive?
If you've seen Veronica, how does this film compare? What are the connections?
What aspects of Catholic imagery and faith stood out to you the most in the film?
How does Sister Narcisa see the past? Do you believe in ghosts?
How would you describe the look of the movie? Sometimes scenes are so dark you can barely see what's happening on screen. Why do the filmmakers do that? What's the mood?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 27, 2023
- Cast : Aria Bedmar , Almudena Amor , Maru Valdivielso
- Director : Paco Plaza
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : History
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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