This unsettling new film from Chilean director Pablo Larrain is a brutal watch, and one that is rewarding if you can stick with it. On the Chilean coast, a group of catholic priests live together in a large house, overseen by a nun Monica (Antonia Zegers). It quickly becomes clear they have been banished as punishment for sins committed – far from the retirement home that some locals believe – and it is a place for prayer and penance.
Their orderly, structured, lives are thrown into chaos when a new priest arrives and he is recognised by an itinerant worker. This threat from the outside world results in their lives being turned upside down and their secrets being gradually revealed.
Admittedly, this film took a while to grip me, but once it did, the feeling of dread and tension was such that it was a pretty powerful experience. It is easy to find all of the priests are sympathetic characters to start with, and the outsiders threatening them as the bad guys, until their past indiscretions start to be revealed. Monica seems to be a warm, compassionate character, but she also has a dubious past, and takes part in an abhorrent act in order to protect their way of life.
Larrain manages to present those character flaws and reveals in a really skilful way and all of the actors playing the priests are very impressive, though special mention should go to Alfredo Castro who gives a very subtle performance as Vidal.
I wouldn’t universally recommend this, as some of the cruel scenes and a lot of the dialogue are pretty hard to take.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10