Killer Nun’s narrative centres around Sister Gertrude who has just returned to the hospital in which she works after having a brain tumour removed. She is convinced that her tumour has returned, however. Following her surgery she also starts to lead a double life. She travels into the city and seeks men to have sex with. She also starts to abuse drugs and spirals into addiction. She starts to become obsessed with the gorier histories of saints. Murder also enters the fray.

Killer Nun is probably the best known (or should that be most infamous) entry in the nunsploitation genre. One amazing aspect of the film is that it’s Anita Ekberg who is cast as Sister Gertrude. She’s come a long way from La Dolce Vita.

There are so many startling scenes whether it’s Gertrude stamping on a patient’s dentures whilst those around her are exclaiming their dismay (‘not the false teeth!’), her character becoming all Angie Dickinson in Dressed To Kill for some daytime anonymous sex (thankfully she isn’t killed by Michael Caine dressed as a woman though) or the actual murders that occur themselves. Killer Nun is beautiful to look at and fantastically staged.

Add to all of this Joe Dallesandro and you truly have a very heady brew.

Killer Nun was banned and placed on the Video Nasties list but then removed. It was then re-released on the infamous 90’s video label Redemption (with cuts). It’s now been passed uncut here in the UK and so it can be enjoyed in all of it uncensored, habit-flapping glory.

3.5 out of 5 stars