As the curtain fell on the 2026 Winter Olympics, one unexpected name drew attention beyond the athletes. Benedetta Porcaroli ...

This review of “Benedetta” first published on July 9, following its screening at Cannes 2021. Some see the whole world in a grain of sand; Paul Verhoeven, with typical abundance, expands that old ...

The long-delayed Benedetta, the newest cinematic event from acclaimed director Paul Verhoeven, is a period film that reaches new heights for the filmmaker. It is a story of religion, sex, and the ...

Beneath the explicit sex and violence of the latest film from Dutch provocateur Paul Verhoeven are thoughtful challenges about gender roles and institutional religion. As a child, Benedetta is praised ...

The flesh is weak but the third act is even weaker in Paul Verhoeven's transgressive but frustratingly self-conflicted period piece. You probably won’t be shocked to hear that Paul Verhoeven’s erotic ...

The provocateur returns to competition with this French-language drama, based on a true story about a 17th-century nun who was chastised for her religious visions and lesbian affairs. By Jordan ...

In a frank interview, the "Showgirls," "Basic Instinct," and "Elle" director explains why that Virgin Mary dildo was a dramatic necessity. Cannes debut “Benedetta” is his latest provocation, a true ...

SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES Efira plays a Renaissance nun with a bit of a God complex in Verhoeven’s surprisingly thoughtful drama. Credit: Courtesy of IFC Films Since childhood, Sister ...

They say it’s not really the holiday season until “The Sound of Music” has aired on at least one channel, but this year there’s a new contender for Fraulein Maria’s crown. “Benedetta,” Paul ...

When you hear that the director of Showgirls made a movie about lesbian nuns, you might suspect Benedetta to be outlandishly raunchy and ferociously campy, reveling in the trashy tropes. However, Paul ...

Paul Verhoeven, you horny motherfucker, you’ve done it again. Few filmmakers have made a name for themselves violently confronting the nigh-puritanical state of modern cinema the way Verhoeven has.

Evil snakes, a scheming Charlotte Rampling and the Virgin Mary turned into a sex toy. So why does it all feel so chaste? There comes a time in the viewing of any historical film when you start to ...