The Unholy: 9 Creepiest Horror Movie Nuns Of All Time, Ranked

Content Warning: This article contains references and discussions to sexual violence and murder.

The release of Evan Spilotopoulos’s The Unholy marked the big-screen return of the age-old theological horror subgenre. One subset of the religious horror realm includes a wide array of “nunsploitation” fare, movies that subvert the notion of benevolent nuns and turn them into horror villains, often possessed by an evil demonic force of some kind.

While cinematic nuns have been around since the 1920s, the nunsploitation subgenre proliferated in the 1970s with movies from Spain, Italy, Germany, as well as the United States. With a lot of options to choose from, here are the all-time creepiest horror movie nuns.

9 Sister Flavia – Flavia, The Heretic (1974)

Just besting Jess Franco’s Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun is Flavia, The Heretic, an unsettling Italian nunsploitation piece, featuring Florinda Bolkan as the stern and sinister sister. Her demeanor and insatiable bloodlust make her extremely creepy.

Set during the Middle Ages, Flavia belongs to a convent that is brutally raided and pillaged by an army of soldiers. However, forced to live as a nun against her wishes by her evil father, Flavia joins the army and goes on a savage killing spree against those who betrayed her.

8 Mother Superior – Dark Waters (1993)

Italian filmmaker Mariano Baino dove into Dark Waters in 1993 and emerged with one of the creepier horror movie nuns, Mother Superior (Mariya Kapnist), a wicked church official with a slew of sinister secrets.

The plot follows Elizabeth (Louise Salter), a young woman who is sent to a mysterious island to live with a convent of nuns following her father’s recent death. Upon arrival, Elizabeth slowly begins to realize that the island is ruled by the iron fist of Mother Superior, who orders her evil underlings to ensure Elizabeth doesn’t make it out alive.

7 Sister Death – Veronica (2017)

Paco Plaza’s 2017 Spanish horror film, Veronica, is one of the best recent European genre films. A primary reason is the chilling presence of Sister Death.

Set in 1991 Spain, the film follows teenage Veronica (Sandra Escacena) and her three siblings, who attempt to contact their deceased relatives by using an Oujia board. Upon contacting the other side, Veronica must heed the advice of Sister Narcisa, whom the kids refer to as Sister Death. However, Sister Death has a terrifying ulterior motive she keeps close to the vest.

6 Valak – The Nun (2018)

As one of the creepiest Conjuring Universe villains to enjoy its own spinoff franchise, Valak (Bonnie Aarons), the demonically possessed nun, remains a formidable cinematic force.

Whether shrouded in silhouetted corridors or flashing its face in creepy close-up jump scares, Valak’s grotesque physical features include rows of jagged sharklike teeth, bloodshot eyes, and bloody varicose veins jutting from its forehead. As such, Valak remains the definitive horror movie nun of the 21st century.

5 Mother Superior – The Transgressor (1974)

Also known as School of the Holy Beast, The Transgressor is likely the least known title on this list. However, it also happens to feature one of the all-time most disturbing horror movie nuns in Mother Superior.

Directed by Norifumi Suzuki, the story revolves around Maya, a young woman who joins a reputable convent to investigate her mother’s mysterious death. Upon arrival, Maya is subjected to horrific torture at the behest of the cold, cruel, and calculating Mother Superior.

4 Mother Vincenza – The Other Hell (1981)

Bruno Mattei is one of the best Italian horror directors not named Argento, Bava, or Fulci. One of his finest achievements came in the 1981 nunsploitation horror flick The Other Hell, which features a truly frightening nun named Mother Vincenza.

When a convent of nuns becomes possessed by the Devil, they become lustily obsessed with the church’s abbot. A local priest is brought in to investigate and uncovers a conspiracy, led by Mother Vincenza, who systematically slaughters her novitiates with reckless abandon.

3 Sister Gertrude – The Killer Nun (1979)

Loosely based on real-life events, The Killer Nun is an Italian nunsploitation movie that follows the life of Sister Gertrude (Anita Ekberg), who has recently come back to work at the hospital after undergoing a life-saving operation.

As the title suggests, Sister Gertrude is the “Killer Nun,” a lewd, libidinous, and ultra-lethal abbess, who will stop at nothing to sate her carnal desires and corresponding bloodlust. Her odious behavior is countered by her wholesome appearance, making her creepier than most.

2 Sister Jeanne – The Devils (1971)

Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave gives one of the most terrifying performances as a nun in a horror movie as Sister Jeanne in Ken Russell’s The Devils.

In order to seize full control of France, the Cardinal must first get rid of the presiding Father Grandier (Oliver Reed). To do so, Grandier is painted as a warlock and sent to live in the local nunnery run by Sister Jeanne. When the patrons turn out to be a satanic cult out for blood, a witch hunter must stop Sister Jeanne from her torturous rampage.

1 Nun – Haxan (1922)

Considering how it’s the first of its kind and featured a real-life nun (Clara Pontoppidan), the unspeakably creepy horror documentary Haxan earns the coveted top spot.

Written and directed by Benjamin Christensen, the documentary chronicles the history of witchcraft, as seen through a series of bizarre imagery that fuses real footage with live re-enactments. At one point in the story, a demonically possessed nun (Nonne) displays one of the scariest facial expressions ever recorded on film.