Good Nuns Go Bad in the Raucous Comedy of ‘The Little Hours’

Taking his inspiration from the 14th century text The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, writer-director Jeff Baena follows up last year’s dramedy Joshy with the wild raucous comedy The Little Hours. There’s no need to be familiar with the text that inspired The Little Hours as the movie takes on a modern tone in its dialogue and humor in what is a hilarious spoof of these classical-type of prestige films, often involving the intersection of sex and religion in the old world.

Alessandra (Alison Brie) is a young woman compelled to live in a convent for nuns due to her father’s commitment to the Church. She’s befriended Genevra (Kate Micucci) and Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), and the trio of nuns do their work in the quaint fields that surround the convent overseen by Father Tommasso (John C. Reilly) and Sister Marea (Molly Shannon). The trio of nuns, however, have verbally and physically abused the young man tending to the grounds, and after he’s left the convent there’s an opening for a new caretaker. Elsewhere, Massetto (Dave Franco) is forced to escape the grounds of Lord Bruno (Nick Offerman) after it’s discovered that the young man has been carrying out an affair with his Lord’s wife. That leads to a chance encounter between Father Tommasso and Massetto, where the priest will take in the young man where he will hide a deaf-mute. But the young women of the convent find themselves quickly infatuated with the new caregiver and his presence could give rise to some dark, unexpected demons within.

Baena’s film moves at a brisk pace throughout its 90-minute running time, and after it establishes its comedic tone the film can really ramp up its insanity. The Little Hours at first seems like a riff on the many quieter films based in a similar setting between its convent and period in time. Then the film starts to just go bonkers in a different direction, as these women of the cloth find themselves undergoing a sexual awakening that seems to be culled straight out of countless sexploitation films of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Jeff Baena is able to coax all sorts of comedic tension from the various character dynamics that grow over the course of the film, and the robust talent of the ensemble cast never fail to bring forth the laughs as The Little Hours gets crazier and crazier, leading right up to its unbelievable conclusion.

The Little Hours isn’t going to be for everyone. You have to be able to accept the film on its own terms and it won’t take you long to figure out if this outrageous comedy is for you. Personally, I found The Little Hours to be endlessly hilarious in its approach, playing its ample absurdity with a straight face. Here’s a comedy with an impeccable cast enjoying every moment of religiously inspired lunacy. Jeff Baena shows another side of his talents that runs counter to the instincts on display in Joshy, and yet each have delivered thoughtful and funny results.