Benedetta trailer & clip promote Paul Verhoeven’s religious thriller

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Paul Verhoeven is definitely not the sort of filmmaker who makes just one type of movie. He has done movies set in medieval times and during World War II, he has directed some of the most popular futuristic sci-fi movies ever made, he made an infamous drama about a Las Vegas showgirl, had a huge hit with an erotic thriller, made an invisible man horror movie, and even made an experimental comedy where he tried to crowdsource the majority of the script. You never know what you're going to get from him, but it's almost always something unique. Now we're getting Verhoeven's take on the nunsploitation genre with his new film Benedetta, which just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival a few days ago. A clip from Benedetta can be seen in the embed above, along with the film's trailer.

Written by Verhoeven and David Birke, Benedetta is based on Judith C. Brown's non-fiction book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy. And I think a lot of viewers will probably be able to figure out their level of interest in this film based on the book's title. The film has the following synopsis: 

In the late 15th century, with plague ravaging the land, Benedetta Carlini joins the convent in Pescia, Tuscany, as a novice. Capable from an early age of performing miracles, Benedetta’s impact on life in the community is immediate and momentous. Benedetta takes in a young woman to her convent, and the two begin a passionate affair.

Virginie Efira stars as the titular Benedetta, while Daphne Patakia plays Bartolomea, the woman she has an affair with. Charlotte Rampling, Lambert Wilson, Olivier Rabourdin, and Louise Chevillotte are also in the cast. 

Benedetta was produced by Said Ben Said, Michel Merkt, and Jerome Seydoux.

Pathé Films holds the French distribution rights, while Mubi has the picked up the rights to release the film in the UK and Ireland. Release dates don't appear to have been announced yet.