A System Built on Obedience Meets Resistance

Read Time:5 Minute, 36 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Nuns vs. The Vatican
–

Genre: Documentary
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 31m
Director(s): Lorena Luciano
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 DOC NYC

RAVING REVIEW: NUNS VS. THE VATICAN offers the viewer the kind of urgency that documentaries rarely manage to capture so completely. It’s not positioned as a relic of past wrongdoing or a retrospective recounting of abuse; instead, it documents a confrontation still unfolding, shaped by women who spent decades silenced by the very institution they served. Director Lorena Luciano approaches their stories with a measured but unflinching lens, understanding that the power of this film lies in reclaiming voices rather than reshaping them. The result is a documentary that feels less like an exploration of events and more like an act of resistance.

At the center is Gloria Branciani, a former nun who embodies the emotional backbone of the film. Her testimony is not presented as spectacle or for shock value; instead, it’s framed with a patience that gradually reveals how spiritual devotion, obedience, and isolation can intertwine to create an environment where manipulation flourishes. Unlike many projects about abuse within the Catholic Church that focus primarily on the misconduct of priests toward minors, this documentary confronts a truth that has too often been excluded from the discourse: women — particularly nuns — were abused in staggering numbers, many of whom never felt they had the permission or protection to speak.

That distinction becomes one of the documentary’s most compelling strengths. By elevating testimonies from women who were systematically removed from the conversation, the film expands the understanding of what abuse within religious institutions can look like. Luciano’s direction emphasizes the humanity behind every account, allowing moments of vulnerability to exist without interruption. The women are not framed as defeated. They are framed as individuals who have fought against silence for longer than most audiences will be comfortable imagining.

A large portion of the film’s impact comes from examining the cultural and theological structures that enabled these abuses. Nuns take vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience—concepts that can be beautiful in theory but, within the wrong hands, become mechanisms of control. Many of the testimonies reveal the emotional conditioning that made it nearly impossible to challenge an accused priest. When an abuser uses religious authority as a weapon, the victim’s sense of spiritual identity and community belonging becomes part of the assault. The film does not sensationalize this; instead, it deconstructs it with precision, showing how the Vatican’s system of internal adjudication has historically shielded predators while isolating survivors.

What elevates NUNS VS. THE VATICAN beyond a straightforward exposé is its awareness of the emotional isolation that follows speaking out. One of the film’s most devastating moments involves women who can no longer show their faces on camera because their own families reject their stories. Luciano emphasizes these absences not as a stylistic flourish but as a quiet reminder of the consequences these women face. It forces viewers to confront the fact that the Vatican does not just enforce silence and secrecy but is often reinforced by entire communities.

Meanwhile, the film explores the case of Father Marko Rupnik with a clarity that refuses to soften the truth. Rupnik’s status as a respected figure — an artist whose mosaic murals decorate churches worldwide, including inside the Vatican — becomes symbolic of the Church’s selective accountability. Excommunication, reversal, relocation, praise, commissions: the pattern is painfully familiar. What makes his story particularly disturbing is the revelation that several murals created under his religious art studio were produced during periods when he was actively manipulating and abusing young nuns under the guise of spiritual development. When survivors explain how their creativity and faith became intertwined with trauma, the documentary captures one of its most affecting sequences.

Rather than ending with despair, the film finds a sense of reclamation in the women reconnecting with one another. Their reunion is captured with an intimacy that counters the gravity of the subject matter. Their joy feels radical — a reminder that solidarity, even after decades of silence, can be a form of healing. These scenes also rebuke the Church’s long-held assumption that silence is inevitable. Thirty new testimonies emerged after Gloria and Mirjam went public, an unmistakable sign that truth spreads when someone finally creates space for it.

The documentary’s biggest strength is also its potential point of critique: its intensity never wavers. Luciano maintains a laser focus on the stories and the system surrounding them, leaving little room for variation. For some viewers, the lack of aesthetic breaks may feel overwhelming. But given the subject matter, the film’s directness feels appropriate, matching the seriousness of what the survivors reveal.

NUNS VS. THE VATICAN is a documentary that demands to be heard. It does not soften its blows or dilute its message for comfort. Instead, it positions its subjects as truth-tellers fighting an institution built to outlast dissent. For a story spanning decades, continents, and countless lives, the film’s greatest achievement is its unwavering moral center. It honors the courage of the women at its core without speaking for them, creating a space where their voices finally stand unchallenged. Stands as one of the year’s most important pieces of investigative storytelling — a film that doesn’t just reveal injustice but insists that ignoring it is no longer an option.

Please visit https://linktr.ee/overlyhonestr for more reviews.

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. My social media accounts can also be found on most platforms by searching for 'Overly Honest Reviews'.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please don't hesitate to say hello or send me any questions about movies.

[photo courtesy of ARTEMIS RISING FOUNDATION, FILM2 PRODUCTIONS, MIGHTY ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTIONS]

DISCLAIMER:
At Overly Honest Movie Reviews, we value honesty and transparency. Occasionally, we receive complimentary items for review, including DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl Records, Books, and more. We assure you that these arrangements do not influence our reviews, as we are committed to providing unbiased and sincere evaluations. We aim to help you make informed entertainment choices regardless of our relationship with distributors or producers.

Amazon Affiliate Links:
Additionally, this site contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a commission. This affiliate arrangement does not affect our commitment to honest reviews and helps support our site. We appreciate your trust and support as you navigate these links.