Bad Sister is a tense psychological thriller about the dangerous notion that there’s evil behind the most sacred masks. The narrative is about 17-year-old twins Zoe and Jason who start their final year at St. Adeline’s Catholic Boarding School. Zoe soon feels that the new teacher, Sister Sophia, is acting oddly—in bright red lipstick, not saying prayers, and staring at Jason in disturbing ways. Zoe is facing the threat of dismissal from the school administration, but they tell her that they don’t worry about her and that it’s Sister Sophia’s word that counts. But as the situation grows more and more tense, Zoe starts to notice that things are not as they seem, and that Sister Sophia is not quite the nun she says she is.
Things take a turn for the worse when it’s revealed that Sister Sophia is a rough and tumble imposter who has fallen for Jason’s music and is becoming unstable. She has been able to steal a nun’s identity to be able to sneak her way into the school to get a hold of Jason. As she cuts off Jason’s friends, menaces those who come between her and her secret, and eventually becomes an out-of-control killer to keep her secret, she grows increasingly malicious. The movie’s climax is a heart-wrenching reveal of Sister Sophia’s identity and her killer intentions, culminating in a tense physical altercation that reveals her double game and danger.
Because “Bad Sister” delves into the themes of suspicion, trust and the bravery to stand up against a force of evil that is all too obvious. The slow paced tension and creepy secrets in the film hold the audience in suspense, making one think about the masks people wear and the evil that can hide behind them. It’s a terrifying reminder that risks may occur in the most unlikely of locations, and that sometimes the biggest risks are the smallest.
