For as long as movies have depicted nuns, movies have subverted nuns. Go back to the Powell and Pressburger thriller “Black Narcissus” (1947), and you’ll find filmmakers interested in the same themes of temptation, revulsion, and liberation captured in today’s Be Reel category. Granted, do “Sister Act” (1992), “The Nun” (2018), and “Benedetta” (2021) live up to the painterly standards of P&P? Perhaps not. But they do make for a podcast category rich with joy, terror, and passion—all while tipping their habits to the pageantry and top-notch production design of the Catholic Church.
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Today’s episode begins by celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Sister Act,” which saw Whoopi Goldberg at her peak star wattage, playing a lounge singer who goes undercover in a convent after witnessing a murder. Then, we swoop into the Conjuring universe to discuss “The Nun,” which made a boatload of money and has a very memorable trailer … and maybe not much else going on. (Should we have watched 1971’s “The Devils” instead? Too late for questions.) And then we wrap things up with what turned out to be the main event, a circle of perpetual adoration for Paul Verhoeven’s “Benedetta.” This based-so-so-loosely-on-a-true-story tale of a Renaissance nun who simultaneously starts experiencing visions and caters a torrid affair with her convent sister is vintage Verhoeven. Peace be with you, and happy listening.
Be Reel is part of The Playlist Podcast Network which includes Bingeworthy, Deep Focus, Yellowstoners, The Fourth Wall, The Discourse. We can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and most places where podcasts are found. You can stream the podcast via the Spotify embed within the article or click on the lead image at the top page. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we greatly appreciate it. Thank you for listening.
