Sister Death

Sister Death

Year: 2023

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: Spanish

Director: Paco Plaza

Echo Score: 77
DramaHorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsTerrifying haunted and supernatural horrorTwisted dark psychological thriller

Spain, 1949. Narcisa, a novice, arrives at an old convent, converted into a girls’ school, to work as a teacher.

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Sister Death (2023) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

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In 1939 Spain, a young girl is revered by the townsfolk for her seemingly holy visions. Ten years later, Narcisa, Aria Bedmar, arrives at a convent that has been reformed into a school for girls after the Red Terror during the Spanish Civil War. She is greeted by Sister Julia Maru Valdivielso and the Mother Superior Luisa Merelas, who is eager to have the “holy girl” from the news among their ranks. The Mother Superior explains that Narcisa will take over the duty of teaching the girls, a role previously held by Sister Inés.

In her new room, Narcisa discovers a cigar box with letters, scissors, and a funerary photograph of Sister Socorro Almudena Amor. Not long after her arrival, Narcisa begins to experience horrific nightmares and inexplicable supernatural phenomena: a chair repeatedly falls on its own in her room; an incomplete hangman drawing appears on her wall; and one of her students is frightened by Narcisa simply writing her name on the blackboard. At confession, Narcisa admits her insecurities regarding her supernatural gifts and her faith.

One night, two girls find the scissors from the cigar box in the bathroom, and have a supernatural encounter. However, Sister Julia dismisses their concerns, and punishes Rosa [Sara Roch] for causing trouble. Narcisa visits Rosa in confinement for answers. Rosa explains that the convent is haunted by an entity they refer to as “the girl,” and that if one’s name is written by the spirit on the blackboard, they are cursed, explaining why Sister Inés had fled.

While Narcisa lectures the girls on an upcoming solar eclipse, Rosa’s name appears written on the board. Narcisa seeks to communicate with the spirit and asks Rosa for help; together, the two of them complete the hangman drawing. Rosa notices a spirit behind Narcisa before she vanishes.

Frantically searching the convent for her student, Narcisa has a disturbing paranormal encounter in the confessional booth before finding Rosa hanged behind the lattice.

While the others mourn Rosa, Sister Julia blames Narcisa for her death. Narcisa decides to leave the convent, but is caught under the solar eclipse. She looks at it, which blinds her eyes, and she goes into a trance and witnesses the plunder and sexual violence that befell the convent during the war.

Narcisa is returned to the convent for treatment; in her room, the spirit of Sister Socorro [Almudena Amor] appears. Through visions, Narcisa learns that Socorro was raped during the war and conceived a daughter, whom the other nuns decided to keep concealed within the convent. When the child fell ill some years later, Socorro insisted on taking her to a hospital. The nuns, wanting the child’s existence to remain a secret, locked Socorro in her room while taking the child to the bathroom; while struggling to force Socorro’s daughter into the bath to lower her fever, the child fatally hit her head on the tub. Upon realizing her daughter had died, Socorro hanged herself in what would become Narcisa’s room.

Narcisa unleashes Socorro’s spirit, which exacts its vengeance on Sister Julia and the Mother Superior, killing them both. The spirits of Socorro and her daughter reunite in the bathroom.

Decades later, the now-elderly Sister Narcisa is introduced to her new class, some of whom mockingly call her “Sister Death.” There, Narcisa encounters student Verónica Sandra Escacena.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:23

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