Review: Warrior Nun (S1)

There’s many superhero films and tv shows that rely on the old trope of going with or railing against destiny.  Either it involves people thrust into the limelight against their will or them actively ploughing ahead to make it happen.  Warrior Nun on Netflix is essentially one of these, with the usual Hero’s Journey elements thrown in the mix.

Based on the Ben Dunn comic, this revolves around a group of Nuns in the Order of the Cruciform Sword.  Fighting demons and monsters, they have existed for centuries as part of the Catholic Church.  They are led by the Warrior Nun, who possesses special abilities due to having an Angel’s Halo in her back.  We learn that the angel Adriel (William Miller – The 100) gave it to the first Warrior Nun during the crusades, saving her life.  Since then, it has been passed down to the worthiest in the order, whenever the bearer is killed.  We are very much in ‘Da Vinci Code’/Knights Templar conspiracy territory here…

When the current bearer Sister Shannon (Melina Matthews) dies mid-battle, they can’t immediately transfer it to Sister Lilith (Lorena Andrea).  The surgeon therefore has to hide it, with the only option putting it in the corpse of a recently deceased paraplegic, Ava (Alba Baptista).  Unexpectedly, the Halo brings Ava back to life, and cures her disability, leaving her disorientated.  Ava has grown up in a nearby orphanage in difficult circumstances and is overwhelmed by her new found abilities.  Confused by what she has woken up to, she escapes the mayhem and runs.

From here it pretty much runs as you’d expect, with Ava initially running away from it, then returning.  Ultimately she accepts her ‘destiny’, but the first part of the series extends the beginning of this Hero’s Journey.  This is quite interesting and they do try to show her exploring the physical movement that she hasn’t experienced in many years.  There are some nice layers to the character here, especially as she is unsure if her paralysis will return.  If there’s a downside to this section, it’s that we spend just a little too long on it.

Ava hooks up with a bunch of grifters, and while they are useful plot devices, they serve no real purpose.  There is a sort of romance with the forgettable JC (Emilio Sakraya), but it is quickly (and justly) discarded, and we never hear of him again.  This sequence could easily have been condensed into a couple of episodes, rather than dragging it out for five.

After this patchy start, Warrior Nun starts to come into its own and delivers a more consistently strong tale.  It’s also where there’s even more hokum and pseudo-legend exposition, muddying the water, including the usual secular versus church ideological battle.  At the heart of that there are a couple of broad strokes ‘bad guys’, notably Cardinal Durutti (Joaquim de Almeida – Queen of the South) and scientist Jillian Salvius (Thekla Reuten – Red Sparrow).  Along with Peter De Jersey (as Salvius’ advisor), de Almeida is probably the most recognisable face here.  Recognisable as a staple of US tv and film for some time, including appearances in 24, Fast and Furious, and Desperado.

As the conspiracies and divisions expand, a lot more of the Nunsploitation element comes to the fore here.  Yes, Sister Mary (Toya Turner) has shotguns in the most 70s throwback way, and Sister Camila (Olivia Delcán) does like an assault rifle, but generally it’s martial arts and blades.  Warrior Nun is no ‘Killer Nun’ or ‘School of the Holy Beast’ though. It’s much more akin to ‘Supernatural’, ‘Evil’, ‘Dominion’ or ‘Constantine’, and a more accessible aesthetic.

As it finds its feet, this becomes a very enjoyable mystery action show, with just the right amount of fun.  Yes, there are issues, and it creaks under the hokeyness, but it lands just the right side of the line.  At the centre is a great performance by Alba Baptista as Ava. She shows great range from the raw emotion of her dangerous situation, to the joy of freedom from her paraplegia.  In her first English speaking role, she delivers the perfect balance and anchors the show, stopping it veering off course.  That isn’t to say the rest of the cast are slouches though. Kristina Tonteri-Young (as Sister Beatrice) and Lorena Andrea, for instance, have great presence.

I must admit that I’ve ended up a little late to the party, after getting the initial impression that Warrior Nun was a bit flimsy.  I’m not sure why this is, but the teaser certainly doesn’t give a true sense of what the show is like.  You would be doing yourself a disservice if you similarly looked through the Netflix menu and skipped over this.  Much like ‘Supernatural’ built into something big, they have a sleeper hit here that could do the same. Give it a chance and the second half of the season will reward you.