2023 appears to be the year of the nun, as Mrs. Davis stars Betty Gilpin as a nun trying to bring down an AI, Lorna Watson returns as the clever, crime solving Sister Boniface, and last (but probably not least) Cate Blanchett stars in the Cannes contender The New Boy as a renegade nun in 1940s Australia.
All these nuns on screen have made us want to revisit many of the myriad portrayals of nuns over the years, and so we’ve compiled a few of those that stand out.
Nuns in Films and TV Shows
Sister Act
Whoopi Goldberg plays Deloris Van Cartier, a witness to an execution style killing that led her to witness protection. Little did she know that decades after being a delinquent Catholic school girl herself she’d be holed up in a convent. Deloris demeanor is at times raucous and rebellious, but when she joins the choir she imparts her own style as she melds gospel and rock n roll together. Deloris success helps the convent and the community, but it also risks bringing attention to herself, which she cannot afford.
Goldberg’s portrayal was incredibly popular with filmgoers and critics alike, and the success of the initial film led to a sequel as well as a Broadway musical. After her role in Ghost, and The Color Purple, this may be Goldberg’s most iconic role.
Black Narcissus
Before Benedetta decided to take a subversive look at nuns, there was Black Narcissus. Black Narcissus, based on the 1939 novel by Rumer Goddenack, follows the Congregation of The Servants of Mary as they work to build school and hospital in a princely state in the Himalayas ruled by General Toda Rai. The sisters begin to clash with the local population, who primarily consist of Hindus, even as they hope to help and impart their brand of Christianity on the populace. Each nun becomes increasingly confronted with their own struggles as well, leading to dramatic confrontation on a cliff at the end of the film, after one of the nuns seeks to seduce the ruler’s agent.
Though the film only won Academy Awards for art, including Best Color Cinematography for Jack Cardiff, and Best Color Art Direction for Alfred Junge, its legacy has lived on in film. Black Narcissus was in fact recently remade in a 2020 mini-series and the The Criterion Collection sought fit to immortalize it in its catalog. Though it can be seen as tame now, its influence still can be seen today.
Mrs. Davis
Mrs. Davis stars Betty Gilpin as a young, traditional nun named Sister Simone, who has devoted her life to the convent and her love of Jesus. That is until an A.I., named in the show as Mrs. Davis, attempts to spur Simone to action by closing down the monastery. Mrs. Davis then promises Simone that if she can destroy the holy grail that Mrs. Davis will delete herself. Simone sets off then on a wacky series of adventures, that includes a fake pope, a shoe commercial, and an ex-lover named Wiley, as she seeks to destroy the A.I. now running the world.
At first Mrs. Davis would appear to be more in line with Black Narcissus, as Simone’s piety seems like it could lead to a joke in unto itself (and undoubtedly fundamentalists will check out immediately if they ever watched this show at all.) Still despite the zaniness of this show, Simone’s presented as far more faithful, and faith driven, than one might expect a modern show to represent. Though it’s only just finished airing as of this writing, and its unclear if there will be a season two, it will be interesting to see if it has impact on the broader cultural conversation and whether it will influence future portrayals of nuns in pop culture.
Sister Boniface Mysteries
Sister Boniface is a spin-off from Father Brown, BritBox’s series about a Roman Catholic priest set in the 1950s and 1960s, based on the stories of G. K. Chesterton. Father Brown doubles as an amateur detective in his parish community, and though he is often rebuffed by the police, his help is often essential to solving the crimes in his village. Sister Boniface herself is a lady of the cloth in a neighboring parish, who much like the portrayal of Father Brown in his series, is incredibly smart, more progressive than her era might suggest, and to the nunnery a bit of a troublemaker. Despite her reputation with the mother of the convent, she’s beloved by the police, and is an integral member of the team (unofficially perhaps) as they solve so-called cozy murders week after week.
Sister Boniface is still ongoing though after a successful first season its already active in its second season. Though its hard to say if it will have the run that Father Brown has had, now in its 10th season, its easily setup to have just as long a life if not longer.
Trinity Blood
Trinity Blood is perhaps the only show that can say to Mrs. Davis “hold my grail”, as it takes the familiar images, tropes, and themes of Catholicism, and then takes that to 11. Of course any show that has weaponized airships, vampires, and a nun with a tragic and troubled past like Sister Esther Blanchett, would be a lot. Really that’s truly only scratching the surface too, as there’s so much more; however, that seems to be enough as a primer.
Trinity Blood is by no means the only anime with a nun, and really anime runs the gambit from sweet to highly sexual, but Trinity Blood is perhaps the most popular. Thanks to its run on Adult Swim nearly 20 years ago its still beloved despite having an incredible series run compared to the manga. Yet its impact is still felt in the fandom certainly, as it may be for years to come when the series is inevitably rebooted.
©New Boy Productions
The New Boy
As of this writing The New Boy is one of the most recent portrayals of a nun on film. Alas we are not at Cannes so we do not have a front row seat to the screening, but what we do know is that the story is about a renegade nun played by Cate Blanchett in 1940’s Australia who we assume looks over a 9-year-old Aboriginal orphan who is brought to the church.
Again we do not know much presently; however, we will revisit this film with a full review when we get an opportunity to screen the film.
