Holy Days is neither dramatic nor funny

This tale of three elderly nuns trying to save their convent falls flat as both comedy and drama, says our reviewer. And why do filmmakers keep assuming nuns are intrinsically funny?

There’s an interesting idea at the heart of Holy Days, a new dramedy from New Zealand, which asks what importance religion can still have at a community level, even when society gets more secular.

It’s the kind of idea that should lead to a thoughtful drama, but Holy Days doesn’t seem that interested in exploring that idea.  

It’s an odd film that is curiously incurious. It isn’t funny enough to be a good comedy, nor dramatic enough to be a good drama, but might just about pass the time for people looking for a clean, faith-themed film to watch with family.  

Holy Days follows the story of three nuns in the 1970s trying to…