I didn’t fully appreciate The Little Hours until I saw it a second time, in a completely different setting than the first. This 14th century sex comedy about a runaway slave (Dave Franco) who pretends to be a deaf mute while seeking refuge in a convent full of aggressively horny misfit nuns (including Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza) is a crowd-pleaser for sure, but writer-director Jeff Baena’s raunchy spin on Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron addresses societal and religious oppression with a tenderness that is, oddly, best absorbed in solitude (it’s the difference between praying in church and meditating at home). Goofy supporting players Fred Armisen, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, and John C. Reilly contribute to debauched lunacy that is as sure to offend anyone who holds traditional religious sensibilities as The Satanic Bible. But look beyond the witchcraft jokes and sitcom setups, and you’ll find a beautiful little movie about self-discovery.
Listen to Kicking the Seat Podcast #241 to hear Ian get schooled on "nunsploitation" by writer/director Jeff Baena!