The Figure of the Scary Nun as a Narrative Device in Contemporary Horror Films Cover Image

Postać strasznej zakonnicy jako chwyt narracyjny we współczesnych horrorach
The Figure of the Scary Nun as a Narrative Device in Contemporary Horror Films

Author(s): Stanisław Dunin-Wilczyński
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Media studies, Visual Arts, Communication studies
Published by: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Keywords: nuns; horror; nunsploitation; religion; fear; narrative devices

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the role of location, fear of supernatural forces, and anxieties related to organized religion and change of order in horror films about nuns. It depicts how the character of the nun has functioned in horror cinema to date with a particular focus on the nunsploitation trend. In analyzed films, location is important because the place of action co-creates the atmosphere of horror. Monasteries provide the perfect backdrop for filmmakers seeking to evoke a sinister mood, as they are associated with mystery, isolation, and seclusion of the characters, intensifying the feeling of fear. Horror films about nuns often use a narrative device of inversion manipulating perceptions about religious institutions. Monasteries, which should be places of prayer and charity, become houses of demons. The motif of transforming innocence into corruption illustrates the depraving power of evil. The article analyzes how horror films about nuns manage to evoke fear and attempts to cover the cultural and social meaning of these films in the context of communal anxieties and the changing vision of the church and its role.

  • Issue Year: 51/2023
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 97-110
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Polish