10 Best Nunsploitation Horror Movies, Ranked

In the vein of other exploitation cinema – generally cheaply made films that generate intrigue from their transgressive and often graphic content – ‘nunsploitation’ films center on nuns engaging in shocking, frightening or sexually explicit activity. Although nunsploitation can be used as a classification for genre pictures from erotic dramas to action films, the horror genre in particular has made great use of the subject since the silent film era with classic films like Häxan.

The nunsploitation genre was particularly popular in European cinema in the 1970s due to the power of the Catholic church in countries like Italy and Spain. However, nunsploitation persists to this day and is becoming increasingly popular in American horror, with 2024 bringing us two excellent nunsploitation horror films in Immaculate and The First Omen. From over 100 years of cinema, these are the best horror films centering on nuns.

10 ‘The Nun’ (2018)

Directed by Corin Hardy

The Nun is a 2018 gothic horror film directed by Corin Hardy. The film is the fifth in the highly successful The Conjuring franchise and elaborates on the backstory of a plot from The Conjuring 2. The film follows a priest and a nun, Father Burke (Demián Bichir) and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga), as they investigate a murder at a Romanian monestary. Upon arrival, they discover that the abbey is haunted by Valak, a demon that takes the form of a terrifying nun (Bonnie Aarons).

Since her first appearance in The Conjuring 2, Valak has been current horror’s most iconic representation of a nun. Her ghostly white skin and menacing stare facilitate startling jump scares and disturbingly tense sequences that are used to great effect in The Nun. With its gothic abbey setting and striking visual style, The Nun elevates what could otherwise have been a much more generic jump scare-fest to a genuinely memorable work of religious horror.

The Nun

Release Date

September 7, 2018

Runtime

96 minutes

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Gary Dauberman , James Wan

Studio

New Line Cinema

Tagline

Pray For Forgiveness

Rent on Apple TV

9 ‘Prey For The Devil’ (2022)

Directed by Daniel Stamm

Directed by Daniel Stamm, Prey For The Devil is a 2022 horror film. The film follows Sister Ann (Jacqueline Byers), a Catholic nun with a traumatic past who is forced to confront her personal demons when she begins training in the rite of exorcism. Initially excluded from exorcism training due to her gender, Ann quickly discovers that she is uniquely equipped to handle the case of Natalie (Posy Taylor), a possessed little girl with whom she shares a deep connection.

Having previously directed chilling possession horror The Last Exorcism, Daniel Stamm is highly experienced in the art of religious and demonic horror. In line with this, Prey For The Devil features scenes of gruesome possession ranging from bodily contortions to a particularly uncomfortable sequence of eyeball body horror. Far less transgressive and shocking than classic nunsploitation horror, Prey for the Devil is nevertheless memorable and unique for its portrayal of a nun performing exorcisms.

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8 ‘The Conjuring 2’ (2016)

Directed by James Wan

The Conjuring 2 is a 2016 supernatural horror film in The Conjuring universe, centering on the 1977 Enfield poltergeist case. The film follows paranormal researchers Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren as they investigate the haunting of a London council house. Meanwhile, Lorraine begins to have visions of and experiences with a supernatural and terrifying nun (Bonnie Aarons) that appears to be connected to the case.

The Conjuring 2 is an incredibly spooky film, featuring excellent scenes of demonic activity and some seriously creepy imagery involving The Nun. While the first Conjuring film was received very positively, many consider the sequel to be even better than the first due to its exploration of Ed and Lorraine’s relationship as well as its memorable and unique scares. As the film that introduced one of horror’s most iconic nun characters, The Conjuring 2 is perfectly at home on this list.

The Conjuring 2

Release Date

June 10, 2016

Runtime

134 minutes

Studio

Warner Bros. Pictures

Rent on Apple TV

7 ‘Alucarda’ (1977)

Directed by Juan López Moctezuma

Directed by Juan López Moctezuma, Alucarda is a Mexican occult horror film from 1977. The film follows two teenage girls, Alucarda (Tina Romero) and Justine (Susana Kamini), who live in a Catholic convent. Alucarda and Justine make a pledge of love to one another in a haunted crypt and accidentally release an occult evil that possesses both girls, leading to sacrilegious chaos occurring at the convent.

Containing gorgeously evocative costumes and set design, Alucarda is a mesmerizing viewing experience. Despite being primarily an occult horror film with strong nunsploitation elements, Alucarda also presents great female vampire characters and lesbian themes. Undeniably original while still containing sequences evocative of nunsploitation classics like The Devils, Alucarda is an underrated nunsploitation horror gem.

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6 ‘Dark Waters’ (1994)

Directed by Mariano Baino

Dark Waters is a 1994 horror film shot in Ukraine and directed by Italian filmmaker Mariano Baino. The film follows Elizabeth (Louise Salter), a young woman who returns to a convent on the island she was born on. On the island, Elizabeth befriends a novice nun named Sarah (Venera Simmons) and begins to uncover that the convent is home to a sinister cult engaging in occult and murderous practices.

Plagued by an incredibly troubled production due to filming in a formerly Soviet country, it’s remarkable that Dark Waters was completed at all, let alone that it was good. Regardless, the film is spooky, visually gorgeous and creates an extremely strong atmosphere through its sound design and mysterious locations. Featuring some top-notch nunsploitation sequences from self-flaggelations to nuns performing occult rituals, Dark Waters is a bizarre yet very entertaining horror film.

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5 ‘Sister Death’ (2023)

Directed by Paco Plaza

Sister Death is a 2023 Spanish nunsploitation horror film directed by Paco Plaza, and is a prequel to Plaza’s acclaimed 2017 film Verónica. Sister Death follows Sister Narcisa (Aria Bedmar), a young nun with the ability to experience mystical visions, as she begins working at a Catholic school located within a former convent. However, Narcisa quickly begins to experience supernatural occurrences that hint towards a dark and sinister secret haunting the building and its inhabitants.

Like Paco Plaza’s previous films Verónica and Rec, Sister Death is excellently directed and full of effective frights and truly unsettling imagery. The film’s scares range from chilling ghostly encounters to nauseating body horror, and the central narrative presents a surprisingly sensitive and empathetic story about female solidarity. One of the scariest nunsploitation films, Sister Death is a welcome take on the subgenre.

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4 ‘The First Omen’ (2024)

Directed by Arkasha Stevenson

The First Omen, directed by Arkasha Stevenson, is a 2024 supernatural horror film that serves as a prequel to the beloved 1970s horror classicThe Omen. The film follows Margaret (Nell Tiger Free), a young Catholic woman who travels to Italy to work at an orphanage and become a nun. When Margaret becomes fixated on a young girl named Carlita (Nicole Sorace) who appears to be mistreated by the staff, she stumbles across a sinister and demonic conspiracy.

Featuring strong supporting performances from veteran actors like Ralph Ineson, Charles Dance and Bill Nighy, The First Omen is driven by a powerhouse lead performance from Nell Tiger Free.The film is intelligently written and contains some incredibly memorable shots, including a horrific and gruesome birth sequence and a scene that pays homage to disturbing classicPossession. Received positively by both audiences and critics, The First Omen is a welcome addition to the nunsploitation horror subgenre that injects new life into a stale franchise.

The First Omen

A young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.

Release Date

April 5, 2024

Director

Arkasha Stevenson

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Tim Smith , Arkasha Stevenson , Keith Thomas , Ben Jacoby , David Seltzer

3 ‘Häxan’ (1922)

Directed by Benjamin Christensen

Häxan is a 1922 Swedish silent horror film written and directed by Danish filmmaker Benjamin Christensen. The film takes the form of a visual essay, presenting the history of witchcraft and occult folklore from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era. The film portrays scenarios ranging from the scapegoating of vulnerable women in the witch trials to nuns behaving chaotically in a convent, in a sequence that is arguably film’s first example of nunsploitation horror.

The film is a Nordic horror gem and is renowned for being one of the most high-quality classic horror films of the silent era. While Häxan is now regarded as an essential part of horror history, upon release, the film was alternately praised for its production design and harshly criticized for its blasphemous content. Häxan‘s demonic imagery is enduringly creepy and very impressive for its time, with the sequences involving troubled nun Sister Cecilia (Clara Pontoppidan) being highly influential on future nunsploitation films.

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2 ‘Immaculate’ (2024)

Directed by Michael Mohan

Directed by Michael Mohan, Immaculate is a 2024 nunsploitation horror movie. The film follows Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney), a young American woman who moves to Italy to take her vows as a nun. However, upon arrival, Cecilia finds herself mysteriously pregnant in what the convent’s leaders claim is a miracle, but Cecilia begins to grow suspicious of their involvement in her predicament. Drawing inspiration from classic horror film Rosemary’s Baby, the film explores expectant motherhood from a horrific angle.

Sydney Sweeney proved herself as an important emerging voice in the horror genre by both starring in and producing Immaculate, having first become enamored with Andrew Lobel‘s screenplay in 2014. Her performance in the film is visceral and committed, with her intensity elevating the film’s incredibly disturbing ending scene. The film makes fantastic use of its beautiful convent setting and uses its themes of religion, sexuality and bodily autonomy to great effect, making Immaculate one of the most exciting horror movies of 2024 so far.

Immaculate

Cecilia, a woman of devout faith, is warmly welcomed to the picture-perfect Italian countryside where she is offered a new role at an illustrious convent. But it becomes clear to Cecilia that her new home harbors dark and horrifying secrets.

Release Date

March 22, 2024

Director

michael mohan

Cast

Sydney Sweeney , Simona Tabasco , Álvaro Morte , Benedetta Porcaroli

Runtime

89 minutes

Writers

Andrew Lobel

Rent on Apple TV+

1 ‘The Devils’ (1971)

Directed by Ken Russell

The Devils is a 1971 historical nunsploitation horror film written and directed by acclaimed British filmmaker Ken Russell. The film is based on the true story of Urbain Grandier, a 17th century priest who was executed due to accusations of witchcraft. Set primarily in a convent, the film follows a disturbed nun named Sister Jeanne des Anges (Vanessa Redgrave) as she becomes infatuated with Grandier (Oliver Reed) and makes allegations of possession and blasphemy against him to conceal her shame.

The Devils is one of Britain’s greatest horror films, featuring an electrifying performance from Redgrave and stunning historical set design. However, due to its explicit sex, violence and blasphemy, the film was heavily censored upon release and remains controversial to this day. In the relatively niche nunsploitation subgenre, The Devils is both one of the most elegant and well-made as well as one of the most shocking films, cementing its place at the top of this list.

NEXT: 13 Most Underrated International Horror Movies, Ranked