The plot thickens when Massetto (Dave Franco), a young servant, flees his master after being caught in a compromising position with the master’s wife. To escape death, he disguises himself as a deaf-mute and seeks refuge at the convent. The Mother Superior (Molly Shannon) agrees to take him in as a gardener, believing his disability will prevent the sort of temptation that usually spells trouble for the sisters. She is, of course, spectacularly wrong.
Critically, the film delves into themes of religious hypocrisy and the constraints placed on women during the Middle Ages. While it plays these themes for laughs, there is an underlying acknowledgment that many of the women in the convent weren't there by choice, but because they were "difficult" or lacked a dowry. The "little hours" of the title—referring to the canonical hours of prayer—become the backdrop for a very human struggle to find freedom in a world defined by strict rules. The Little Hours
The Little Hours, Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Dave Franco, The Decameron, Boccaccio, convent comedy, cult classic, historical satire. The plot thickens when Massetto (Dave Franco), a
We meet Sister Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), Sister Alessandra (Alison Brie), and Sister Ginevra (Kate Micucci). They are not holy. They are bored. They gossip viciously, practice witchcraft, poison a teenage boy for calling them ugly, and openly despise their new convent leader, Sister Mafia (Molly Shannon). She is, of course, spectacularly wrong
Unlike many historical comedies that erase queer identity, The Little Hours embraces it. Sister Ginevra (Kate Micucci) clearly has a crush on Sister Alessandra. There is a scene where the nuns "marry" each other as a joke. Later, after the Satanic orgy (yes, that happens), the lines between victims and perpetrators blur entirely. The film suggests that without patriarchal suppression, these women would just be pansexual chaos monsters—and that is beautiful.