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Revision as of 21:17, 2 January 2024

Sister Death
Promotional release poster
SpanishHermana Muerte
Directed byPaco Plaza
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDaniel Fernández Abelló
Edited by
  • Martí Roca
  • Guillermo de la Cal
Music byMikel Salas
Production
company
El Estudio
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • 5 October 2023 (2023-10-05) (Sitges)
  • 27 October 2023 (2023-10-27) (Spain)
CountrySpain
LanguageSpanish

Sister Death (Template:Lang-es)[1] is a 2023 Spanish supernatural horror film directed by Paco Plaza and written by Jorge Guerricaechevarría and Plaza which stars Aria Bedmar. A prequel to the 2017 film Verónica, the plot follows the paranormal experiences of a novice (Bedmar) enrolled as a teacher in a convent operating as a girls school in 1940s Spain.

The film world premiered as the opener of the 56th Sitges Film Festival on 5 October 2023 and was subsequently released on Netflix on 27 October 2023.

Plot

In 1939 Spain, a girl is revered by townfolks. Ten years later, novice Narcisa is welcomed by sister Julia into a convent refitted for teaching young girls. After coming across a marble, Narcisa is introduced by sister Julia to the Mother Superior, who is joyful to meet the holy girl from the news who inspired the entire community. Julia and the Mother Superior are among the few sisters in the community still remaining from before the war. Mother Superior also tells Narcisa that she is about to start lecturing on language, literature, and natural sciences in replacement of Sister Inés, and also to take vows, to Narcisa's shock.

Upon settling into her new room, Narcisa finds a cigar box with letters, scissors, and a photograph of Sister Socorro, also getting spooked at a nearby falling wooden chair and an incomplete hangman drawing on the wall. After a Latin mass, Narcisa confesses her insecurities about her supernatural gifts and her faith to a priest. Narcisa has a rocky start as a teacher, as she barely manages to write her name on the blackboard and a girl pees herself. After being shown an album portraying the sisters with a vacant imageholder, Narcisa gets back to Socorro's photograph. A marble moving on the floor guides her into a cellar full of religious icons and with what is revealed to be Santa Marta's hand, a relic lost in the war.

Narcisa has a nightmare about eating eyeballs prepared as fritters. Following a night with paranormal phenomena spooking two girls who went to the bathroom, and the appearance of the scissors in the box she had seen earlier, Narcisa goes to Socorro's tomb. One of the girls, punished Rosa, tells Narcisa about a haunting spirit cursing people by writing their names, and the story of how Inés left. Narcisa has a nightmare about being strangled by her veil. While Narcisa lectures the girls on an upcoming astronomical eclipse, the name 'Rosa' appears written on the blackboard, while the hangman drawing keeps adding strokes. As Narcisa pursues to communicate with the spirit, she and Rosa complete the drawing. Rosa tells Narcisa that she has a spirit behind before disappearing. Narcisa is bullied by Julia into leaving. Narcisa desperately looks for missing Rosa, meeting a disturbing paranormal entity in the confessional booth before finding hanged Rosa behind the lattice.

During Rosa's mourning, Narcisa leaves the convent with her belongings, but the eclipse occurs and she goes into a trance, blinding her eyes and experiencing past sequences of plundering and wartime sexual violence in the convent. Returned to the convent to receive care, and upon touching Socorro's photograph, Narcisa becomes aware that Socorro was raped in the war and bore a daughter who was secretly raised in the convent and died with her neck broken in a bathtub separated from Socorro, with Socorro then dying hanged after dropping the chair in what was to become Narcisa's room. Narcisa frees Socorro's spirit, and the name 'Julia' is written on the blackboard. The vengeful spirit kills the Mother Superior and Julia. The spirits of Socorro and her daughter reunite in the bathroom.

On 20 March 1991, elder Sister Narcisa visits Verónica's classroom, being dubbed as Hermana Muerte ('Sister Death').

Cast

Production

The Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba was used to portray the fictional setting of the convent and girls school.

The film was written by Jorge Guerricaechevarría and Paco Plaza.[6] The film is an El Estudio production. Filming began in the Valencia region in March 2022.[7][8] The Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba was chosen as shooting location to portray the school and convent where the fiction takes place.[9] Enrique López Lavigne, Pablo Cruz and Diego Suarez Chialvo took over production duties,[10] whereas Daniel F. Abelló did so with cinematography, Guillermo de la Cal and Martí Roca with editing, Laia Ateca with art direction and Alberto Álvarez with production supervision.[11][12]

Release

The film was presented as the opening film of the 56th Sitges Film Festival on 5 October 2023.[13][14] It was distributed by Netflix,[15] with a streaming release set for 27 October 2023.[16]

Reception

According to the American review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Sister Death has a 82% approval rating based on 17 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 7.0/10.[17]

Miguel Ángel Romero of Cinemanía rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, underscoring Plaza's consolidation as a master of Spanish horror cinema as a verdict.[18]

Jesse Hassenger of Decider.com gave the film a positive recommendation, deeming it to be "an efficient and well-made horror picture".[19]

Elsa Fernández-Santos of El País assesses that Plaza delivers one of his best films owing to a staging combining a "Gothic tale background with Spartan architecture and an aura of fierce fatality and martyrdom", writing that the film is built "with visual elements that are as simple as they are disturbing".[20]

Top ten lists

The film appeared on a number of critics' top ten lists of the best Spanish films of 2023:

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2024
 11th Feroz Awards Best Poster Iñaki Villuendas, José Haro Pending
[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ Navarro, Meagan (18 May 2023). "'Sister Death' – Netflix Debuts Teaser for Upcoming 'Veronica' Prequel from '[REC]' Director". Bloody Disgusting.
  2. ^ Medina, Marta (6 October 2023). "'Hermana muerte': las monjas de Paco Plaza inauguran el Festival de Sitges". El Confidencial.
  3. ^ a b Pando, Juan (June 2022). "Pánico en el convento". Fotogramas. 75 (2144): 38. ISSN 1889-9706.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Buglass, Lucy (27 October 2023). "Sister Death cast: who's who in the horror movie". What to Watch.
  5. ^ a b Silvestre, Juan (28 March 2022). "'Hermana Muerte': Paco Plaza arranca el rodaje de 'Hermana Muerte' para Netflix". Fotogramas.
  6. ^ Osco, Nelly (27 October 2023). "Precuela de "Verónica": de qué trata "Hermana Muerte" y cómo ver la película de terror de Netflix". mag – via El Comercio.
  7. ^ "Paco Plaza inicia el rodaje de 'Hermana muerte', que entronca con 'Verónica'". Valencia Plaza. 28 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Netflix anuncia 'Hermana muerte', la precuela de la cinta de terror 'Verónica'". El Periódico de Catalunya. 29 March 2022.
  9. ^ Melchor, Carla (30 March 2022). "Un monasterio de Valencia será protagonista de la nueva película de Netflix". El Periódico de Catalunya.
  10. ^ "Paco Plaza dirige para Netflix 'Hermana Muerte'". Deia. 17 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Paco Plaza dirige 'Hermana Muerte' para Netflix: terror a la valenciana y a plena luz del día". Audiovisual451. 30 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Romancero confirma l'idil·li de Sitges 2023 amb les sèries". Ajuntament de Sitges. 7 October 2023.
  13. ^ Balaga, Marta (18 May 2023). "Sitges Announces Opening film 'Hermana Muerte' at Cannes' Fantastic Pavilion, Reveals Poster for Upcoming Edition". Variety.
  14. ^ Martínez, Evaristo (7 October 2023). "Dinosaurios, monjas y vampiros almerienses andan sueltos por Sitges". La Voz de Almería.
  15. ^ Rull, Carles (28 March 2022). "Paco Plaza dirigirá 'Hermana muerte', precuela de su éxito 'Verónica'". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
  16. ^ Romero, Miguel Ángel (11 September 2023). "Todo lo que sabemos sobre 'Hermana Muerte', la precuela de 'Verónica' en Netflix: estreno, imágenes, reparto..." Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
  17. ^ "Sister Death". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  18. ^ Romero, Miguel Ángel (26 October 2023). "Crítica de 'Hermana Muerte': Paco Plaza abandona la oscuridad del cine de terror en la precuela de 'Verónica'". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
  19. ^ Hassenger, Jesse (27 October 2023). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Sister Death' on Netflix, Another Nun-Centric Horror Movie at the Tail End of Spooky Season". Decider.com.
  20. ^ Fernández-Santos, Elsa (27 October 2023). "'Sister Death': Catholic terror in a bloody convent". El País.
  21. ^ Casas, Quim (22 December 2023). "Las 10 mejores películas españolas de 2023". El Periódico de Catalunya. Prensa Ibérica.
  22. ^ Medina, Marta (21 December 2023). "Las 10 mejores películas españolas de 2023: niños robados, sexualidad femenina y monjas, muchas monjas". El Confidencial.
  23. ^ "Lista completa de nominados a los Premios Feroz 2024 con 'La Mesías' y 'Cerrar los ojos' como grandes favoritas". ABC. 23 November 2023.
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