I really should not have loved this as much as I did. In all honesty, I sat through “Nun of That” thinking I should rightfully despise every minute of this, but… I didn’t. In the end, “Nun of That” is a hilarious, action packed ode to nunsploitation and the grindhouse motif that fuels an otherwise ridiculous, over the top action bonanza. There’s a nun in a club stripping before she eliminates a full house of Italian stereotypes, a martial arts Jew assassin who chucks deadly Stars of David and a razor edged yarmulke, there’s Ghandi teaching Sister Wrath how to fight with demon ninjas, and there’s Jesus Christ who engages in a musical number that is shockingly memorable and catchy. All of which is played with deadpan insistence from its sharp cast who seem to truly enjoy being in this movie.
Of course there is also Sister Wrath, a nun so devout to her religion she beats the piss out of a perverted priest, and even takes on a group of rapists in an alley without hesitation. Director Richard Griffin is never afraid to get stupid with this material and this leaves his entire premise completely without limits and often so off the wall it’s too admirable to hate. Sister Wrath has just been recruited in to the Order of the Black Habit as an assassin for the Christian church who are in the middle of an all out war with a local crime family. Donning a round table, a secret base, keycards, and security systems, they recruit only the finest of nun assassins, and Wrath is right up their alley. With a hot temper, and a disciplined set of morals based around her religion, she meets Christ and her guardian angel Oscar, both of whom guide her in to bringing down mafia scumbags for the love of God.
Twists and turns abound where Wrath confronts the Italian mafia and their evil matron who scored a deal with the devil, who eggs her on in her mission to take down the nun assassins. Of course Griffin never hesitates to go whole hog with his characters as he pairs Wrath with Sister’s Gluttony (Ruth Sullivan is hilarious as the greedy roughneck assassin) and Lust (how can you not love Shanette Wilson as the sex crazed bombshell?), both of whom are hilariously true to their names as flawed assassins never afraid to engage in some girl on girl while pounding on one another for sport. Griffin has his fee firmly planted in the mid-seventies never striving to convince us we’re watching a period piece, but also is never above scoring his film with some groovy funk, and donning most of his characters in dated garb. Sister Lust is ripped right out of a Jack Hill film, and Viper Goldstein is an admirable blaxploitation villain of a mixed race who is immensely entertaining whenever throwing down with Sister Wrath.
The stand out is of course Sarah Nicklin who has a charm and maniacal appeal that stamps her on film as a mix between Camille Keaton and Christina Lindberg reveling in her role as this off the cuff nun assassin who is never afraid to pop a bitch who questions her faith. “Nun of That” won’t appeal to everyone with a taste for the cult and deliciously ridiculous, but I couldn’t help enjoy director Griffin’s unbridled enthusiasm for a sub-genre that can get tedious rather quickly in the wrong hands. Jesus Christ performs a musical number, a lethal Jew throws deadly stars of David, and nuns throw down like proper brides of Christ, “Nun of That” is an orgy of sick humor, ridiculous stereotypes, and breakneck action that will please fans of the nunsploitation persuasion or action thrillers.