Best of Nunsploitation Films
Nunsploitation is a subgenre of exploitation film which had its peak in Europe in the 1970s. These films typically involve Christian nuns living in convents during the Middle Ages. The main conflict of the story is usually of a religious or sexual nature, such as religious oppression or sexual suppression due to living in celibacy. The inquisition is another common theme. These films, although often seen as pure exploitation films, often contain criticism against religion in general and the Catholic church in particular. Indeed, some protagonist dialogue voiced feminist consciousness and rejection of their subordinated social role. Not surprisingly, many of these films were made in countries where the Catholic Church is influential, such as Italy and Spain. One atypical example of the genre, however, is Killer Nun (Suor Omicidi), set in, then, present-day Italy (1978).
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- DirectorWalerian BorowczykStarsLigia BraniceHoward RossMarina PierroOn the surface the women at the convent are your average nuns. However, what they get up to in their spare time is far from what you'd expect from nuns.Images in a Convent (Italian: Immagini di un convento) is a 1979 sexploitation film by Italian cult filmmaker Joe D'Amato.
This film marks D'Amato's second entry into the 'nunsploitation' subgenre of trash films, after The Nun and the Devil in 1972 and it was followed by Convent of Sinners in 1986. The film contains strong scenes of graphic violence relating to demonic possession, as well as hardcore pornography (including explicit lesbianic depictions of digital penetration and cunnilingus). - DirectorEriprando ViscontiStarsAnne HeywoodAntonio SabatoHardy KrügerA film loosely based on real life events of Marianna De Leyva, better known as "The Nun of Monza," a 17th century nun accused of and tried by the church for breaking celibacy and plotting murder.
- DirectorKen RussellStarsVanessa RedgraveOliver ReedDudley SuttonIn 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier's protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun's accusation of witchcraft.The Devils is a 1971 British historical drama directed by Ken Russell and starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave. It is based partially on the 1952 book The Devils of Loudun by Aldous Huxley, and partially on the 1960 play The Devils by John Whiting, also based on Huxley's book. The film is a dramatised historical account of the rise and fall of Urbain Grandier, a 17th century French priest executed for witchcraft following the supposed possessions of Loudun.
The Devils faced harsh reaction from national film rating systems, due to its disturbingly violent, sexual, and religious content; it was banned in several countries, and heavily edited for release in others. The film has never received a release in its original, uncut form in various countries, and is largely unavailable in the home video market. - DirectorJesús FrancoStarsSusan HemingwayWilliam BergerHerbert Fux16-year-old Maria is forced into Serra D'Aires convent, secretly run by Satanists.
- DirectorDomenico PaolellaStarsAnne HeywoodLuc MerendaOrnella MutiDuring the 1570s, in the convent of Sant'Arcangelo di Baiano, after the death of the mother superior, a power struggle rages on, as one nun, who comes from a powerful family, is willing to do anything to become the new abbess.The Nun and the Devil, or Le Monache di Sant'Arcangelo in the original Italian, is an erotic 1973 French/ Italian nunsploitation film directed by Domenico Paolella. It is also known as: Sisters of Satan (UK) and The Nuns of Saint Archangel (US). The action, based on a true story, is set in the 16th century at the convent of Sant Arcangelo, near Naples, then under Spanish rule.
- DirectorGianfranco MingozziStarsFlorinda BolkanMaría CasaresClaudio CassinelliA young woman forced into nun-hood by her corrupt father teams up with an army of Muslims to destroy the convent and kill those who wronged her.
- DirectorNorifumi SuzukiStarsYumi TakigawaEmiko YamauchiYayoi WatanabeIn order to investigate her mother's strange death, a woman enters a sacred convent run by hypocritical, perverse nuns.School of the Holy Beast aka Convent of the Sacred Beast (聖獣学園 Seijū gakuen?) is a film in the nunsploitation sub-genre of Pinky violence made by Toei Company in 1974.
- DirectorSergio GriecoStarsFrançoise PrévostJenny TamburiPaolo MalcoLucita has been locked away in a convent by her family in order to keep her away from her lover, Esteban. The pair make plans to elope, but Esteban is accused of heresy before Lucita can escape. Hiding in the convent, Esteban discovers the horrifying depravity of the convent's abbess, Sister Incarnation. Can Esteban rescue his love from this madhouse before the inquisitor discovers what is going on and has everyone executed?
- DirectorGilberto Martínez SolaresStarsEnrique RochaCecilia PezetDelia MagañaA young nun is tempted by visions of forbidden sexual fantasies to cross over to Satan.
- DirectorJuan López MoctezumaStarsClaudio BrookDavid SilvaTina RomeroAfter the death of her parents, a young girl arrives at a convent and brings a sinister presence with her. Is it her enigmatic imaginary friend, Alucarda, who is to blame? Or is there a satanic force at work?Alucarda (Spanish title: Alucarda, la hija de las tinieblas, or Alucarda, the daughter of darkness) is a 1978 Mexican horror film directed by Mexican horror filmmaker Juan López Moctezuma, starring Tina Romero in the title role. Often thought to be based on the 1872 novella Carmilla, it revolves around two teenage orphan girls living in a Catholic convent, who unleash a demonic force and become possessed by Satan. Although it was made in Mexico, it is an English language film. It was released in theaters across Mexico on January 26, 1978.
- DirectorMasaru KonumaStarsLuna TakamuraYôko AzusaTatsuya HamaguchiRuna, visits her sister three years after entering the convent to forgive her and help her make money. To make more money, Runa's sister wheedles gifts from various men, and Runa's sexual initiation at the convent teaches her meekness.Cloistered Nun: Runa's Confession (修道女ルナの告白 Shudojo Runa no kokuhaku?) (1976) is a Japanese pink film in the nunsploitation genre starring pop singer Runa Takamura, directed by Masaru Konuma and produced by Nikkatsu. Allmovie reports of the film, "As Konuma is not one to pull political punches for the sake of lightweight erotic fluff, the film is far more pointed than the numerous European 'sexy nun' films it ostensibly resembles.
- DirectorGiuseppe VariStarsLaura GemserMónica ZanchiGabriele TintiHaving renounced her old life of promiscuity, a nun's sexual and religious identity is challenged by a free-spirited, nymphomaniacal new pupil at her convent and a fugitive killer.Suor Emanuelle (Sister Emanuelle) is a 1977 Exploitation film. It can be classified under both the nunsploitation and sexploitation exploitation film sub genres. It is part of the long running Black Emanuelle series of films starring Laura Gemser.
- DirectorGiulio BerrutiStarsAnita EkbergAlida ValliMassimo SeratoLegendary Swedish sex bomb Anita Ekberg stars as Sister Gertrude, a cruel nun who discovers depraved pleasure in a frenzy of drug addiction, sexual degradation and sadistic murder.Killer Nun (also known as Suor Omicidi, or Deadly Habits) (1978) is an Italian nunsploitation film directed/co-written by Giulio Berruti and co-written by Alberto Tarallo. The film was originally banned in Britain in 1983, but was subsequently re-released in DVD format there in 2006, after changes in British censorship policy.
- DirectorBobby A. SuarezStarsGeorge EstreganDante VaronaMarrie LeeSingapore's top policewoman, Miss Cleopatra Wong, who heads the Seasian Interpol Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D.), teams up with her Filipino counterpart to bust a counterfeit currency operation that threatens several Asian countries with bankruptcy. Their dangerous quest takes them from Singapore to Hong Kong and finally Manila where they locate the counterfeit ring's Asian headquarters, which is being run by local nuns, forced into slave labor. The martial arts action is fast and furious as Cleopatra and her teams launch an attack to destroy the counterfeiter's and their headquarters in an explosive finale in this fun-filled, action-packed adventure.They Call Her... Cleopatra Wong (also known as Cleopatra Wong and Female Big Boss) is a 1978 film, starring Marrie Lee, Franco Guerrero, Dante Varonna and George Estregan. The film, riding on the success of Hong Kong martial arts films of the era as well as the James Bond and superspy craze, details the adventures of a female Interpol agent. The movie is directed by Bobby A. Suarez and is written by Romeo N. Galang as well as himself. The film is reportedly listed by cult director Quentin Tarantino as among those that inspired him.
Tagline: She purrs like a kitten and makes love like a siren. This side of the pacific, she is the meanest, deadliest and sexiest secret agent. - DirectorJerzy KawalerowiczStarsLucyna WinnickaMieczyslaw VoitAnna CiepielewskaA priest is sent to a small parish in the Polish countryside which is believed to be under demonic possession and there he finds his own temptations awaiting.Mother Joan of the Angels (Polish: Matka Joanna od Aniołów, also known as The Devil and the Nun) is a 1961 drama film on demonic possession, directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz, based on a novella of the same title by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival.
- DirectorJoe D'AmatoStarsEva GrimaldiKarin WellGabriele GoriConvent of Sinners is the story of Susanna, a young girl who is raped by her own father and sent to a convent for her sins, where she falls in love with a priest. The other nuns, however, are jealous and angry, they want Susanna for themselves, and accuse her of being possessed by the Devil.
- DirectorNigel WingroveStarsSally TremaineMoyna CopeSimon HillTaunted by visions of Mary Magdalene, who reveals the confessions of the younger nuns at the convent, the Mother Superior's mind is filled with the violent, sexual acts of her fellow sisters.Sacred Flesh is a 1999 nunsploitation film. It is set in an indeterminate past, and consists of a series of loosely connected vignettes that depict pseudo-lesbian sexuality and some sado-masochistic activity.
- DirectorRichard GriffinStarsSarah NicklinAlexandra CipollaShanette WilsonNun of That follows Sister Kelly Wrath as she transforms from a nun with a simple temper problem to a vengeful killer.
- DirectorBruno MatteiStarsZora KerovaMario CutiniPaola CorazziSister Virginia becomes the new Mother Superior at the convent of Monza. Debauched priest Don Arrigone and lecherous womanizer Giampaolo Osio plot to seduce sister Virginia by any means necessary.
- DirectorBruno MatteiStarsFranca StoppiCarlo De MejoFrancesca CarmenoNuns become possessed by the Devil and lust after the abbot!
- DirectorArmando CrispinoStarsBarbara BouchetPier Paolo CapponiIda GalliA young woman is forced into a convent. However, due to her nobility she rises to be an abbess. She has to deal with corruption in the church.
- DirectorEthan ManiquisRobert RodriguezStarsDanny TrejoMichelle RodriguezRobert De NiroAfter being set-up and betrayed by the man who hired him to assassinate a Texas Senator, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss.(Robert Rodriguez) (portrayed by Lindsay Lohan) (2010)
- DirectorJoseph GuzmanStarsAsun OrtegaDavid CastroPerry D'MarcoA left-for-dead nun forced into prostitution embarks on a deadly revenge mission to do the Lord's work, punishing sinners in a strictly personal vigilante Holy War.
- DirectorAdonis KyrouStarsFranco NeroNathalie DelonNicol WilliamsonAmbrosio is a monk who is sexually tempted by an emissary of the Devil, a young girl in monk's robes.
- DirectorIda LupinoStarsRosalind RussellHayley MillsBinnie BarnesTwo high-spirited young students at St. Francis Academy keep things hopping for the challenged Mother Superior and her staff of bewildered Sisters.The Trouble with Angels (1966) is a comedy film about the adventures of two girls in an all girls school run by nuns. The movie was directed by Ida Lupino and stars Rosalind Russell and Hayley Mills. The featured players include Marge Redmond (who appeared as nun Sister Jacqueline in the television series The Flying Nun the following year) as math teacher Sister Liguori, Mary Wickes (who also played a nun in Sister Act and its sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit) as gym teacher Sister Clarissa, and Portia Nelson as art teacher Sister Elizabeth (who also played a nun in The Sound of Music).
- DirectorJames NeilsonStarsRosalind RussellStella StevensBinnie BarnesAn old-line Mother Superior is challenged by a modern young nun when they take the girls of St. Francis Academy on a bus trip across the United States.Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows (1968) is a movie comedy starring Rosalind Russell and Stella Stevens. The film is a sequel to The Trouble with Angels (1966) and was written by Blanche Hanalis from a story by Jane Trahey, and directed by James Neilson.
The story depicts the rivalry between the conservative Mother Superior (Russell) and the glamorous, progressive young Sister George (Stevens) as they shepherd a busload of Catholic high school girls across America to an interfaith youth rally being held in Santa Barbara, California. As they debate expressions of faith and role of the Church in the tumultuous America of the sixties, they must also contend with the antics of two rebellious, trouble-prone students Rosabelle (Susan Saint James) and Marvel Anne (Barbara Hunter). - DirectorWilliam A. GrahamStarsElvis PresleyMary Tyler MooreBarbara McNairAs an incognito nun tries to help a doctor clean up an inner-city ghetto, the pair grow closer with time.Change of Habit is a 1969 musical drama film starring Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore. It was Presley's 31st and final movie acting role; his remaining two film appearances were concert documentaries. It was also Tyler Moore's fourth and final film under her brief Universal Pictures contract; she would not appear in another theatrical movie until Ordinary People in 1980.
- DirectorEberhard SchröderStarsDoris ArdenSascha HehnJosef MoosholzerThe problems girls face in the unisex environment of a convent school are revealed in a series of vignettes.
- DirectorJacques RivetteStarsAnna KarinaLiselotte PulverMicheline PresleSuzanne is forced against her will to take vows as a nun and three mothers superior treat her in radically different ways. Suzanne's virtue brings disaster to everyone in this faithful adaptation of a bitter attack on religious abuses.The Nun (French: La Religieuse, also known as French: Suzanne Simonin, la Religieuse de Denis Diderot) is a 1966 French drama film directed by Jacques Rivette and based on the novel of the same title by Denis Diderot.
- DirectorKôyû OharaStarsYuki NohiraRei OkamotoRumi TamaRumiko is a misbehaving girl who got caught stealing the cash her father had at home for bribes. Father would not accuse her of that, but when he caught her having sex with her English teacher, he was justified in sending her to a monastery, where the nuns try to force her to become a good girl. However, after a few days in forced piety, Rumiko (now Sister Lucia) discovered that her sins were nothing in comparison with those of other Sisters, and Mother Superior's.
- DirectorJorge GrauStarsAnalía GadéAlfredo AlcónTeresa GimperaThe story of nuns and their sexuality during the days of the Spanish Inquisition in 1640.
- DirectorKôyû OharaStarsYuki NohiraMiyako YamaguchiYûko AkaneAfter being brutally raped, a young woman attempts to commit suicide. A priest talks her out of it and she decides to become a nun. Once inside the convent, she is again a victim of sexual abuse.
- DirectorMakis AntonopoulosStarsEva BenetaMary GaritsiLiana Hatzi