After the death of her parents, Justine (Susana Kamini),  is taken to live in a convent where she shares a room with another orphan, Alucarda (Tina Romero). The pair form a bond and soon become very close friends.

Whilst out in the woods one day, they come across some gypsies. The leader of the Gypsies (Claudio Brook) gives Alucarda a knife and then later on joins the girls in a diabolical breast-slicing and blood drinking ceremony. Justine and Alucarda go on to cause mayhem in the convent, praising Satan and denying god. The Nuns are convinced that they are possessed and the only way to save their souls is to perform an exorcism.

Whether its because they are totally unobtainable, the ultimate virgin, or it's the blasphemous delight of defiling the bride of Christ, Nuns have long been the subject of men's (and Women's) salacious fantasies. Alucarda however isn't your average 70's nunsploitation movie. There are metaphors galore to be found within this Mexican gem of a film; Christianity’s attitudes towards sexuality, female equality and of course, discriminating against and trying to destroy all that the church sees as ungodly. Everything about the work has a strange yet beautiful surreal quality to it. The convent is a curious place with cave-like rooms, and the nuns look like they are mummified, wearing restrictive clothing and head coverings that look like bandages.

Naked nuns, blood, sex and blasphemy... what more can I say? An absolutely splendid film, I love it. S.J.T.

Alucarda. 1978

Directed by Juan Lopez Moctezuma 

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