Show all services

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer
Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified.
Fandango

AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
- Fandango
- AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew
  
  Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info
- Cinemark Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Regal Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You haven’t finished your review yet, want to submit as-is?

You can always edit your review after.
Are you sure?

Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers.
Want to submit changes to your review before closing?

The Nun's Story Photos

View All Photos (16)

Movie Info

Willful and outspoken Gabrielle van der Mal (Audrey Hepburn), the daughter of a prominent Belgian surgeon (Dean Jagger), leaves her upper-class existence to become a nun. As Sister Luke, she is eventually sent to the Belgian Congo, where she excels as a nurse working with a skilled doctor (Peter Finch). However, her willingness to continue as a nun is challenged when her father is killed by the Nazis, and she no longer feels that she can maintain the neutrality of her order.

Genre:

drama
Original Language:

English
Director:

Fred Zinnemann
Producer:

Henry Blanke
Writer:

Robert Anderson
Release Date (Theaters):

Jul 18, 1959 wide
Release Date (Streaming):

Nov 21, 2016
Runtime:

2h 29m
Production Co:

Warner Bros.
Sound Mix:

Mono

Cast & Crew

Audrey Hepburn
Sister Luke (Gabrielle van der Mal)

Peter Finch
Dr. Fortunati

Edith Evans
Rev. Mother Emmanuel (Belgium)

Peggy Ashcroft
Mother Mathilde (Africa)

Dean Jagger
Dr. Van Der Mal

Mildred Dunnock
Sister Margharita (Mistress of Postulants)

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Nun's Story

All Critics (17) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (15) | Rotten (2)

Fred Zinnemann's production is a soaring and luminous film.

November 1, 2007 | Full Review…

Variety Staff
Variety
It's still a long haul (made no lighter by Franz Waxman's abominably insistent score) for anyone not committed to theological problems of faith, conscience and obedience.

June 24, 2006

Tom Milne
Time Out
Certainly doesn't offer the positive depiction of religious life common in 1950s Hollywood, but it's not an anti-religious or anti-Catholic depiction either.

April 12, 2006 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide
In the role of the nun, Miss Hepburn is fluent and luminous.

May 20, 2003 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Although it is a drama that interrogates the moral dilemmas and contradictions of religious faith with an organic performance from Hepburn, the portrayal of a nun's crisis of conscience seems futile and a bit redundant. [Full review in Spanish]

February 24, 2021 | Rating: 5/10 | Full Review…

Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
Audrey Hepburn, shedding at last the startled fawn mannerisms which had become her trademark, vividly portrayed a forceful Belgian girl who tries with all her might to accept the selfless discipline of the convent.

October 7, 2019 | Full Review…

Clyde Gilmour
Maclean's Magazine
It makes no judgements: it is a serious effort to show us a moral and mental discipline, and it strikes me as authentic.

July 19, 2018 | Full Review…

Isabel Quigly
The Spectator
... on target and godlike.

April 8, 2010 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Quote not available.

November 7, 2008 | Rating: 3/5

Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion
A superbly restrained piece of filmmaking, with Zinnemann directing in simple, unadorned style and Hepburn giving a truly radiant performance.

November 1, 2007 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

TV Guide
Zinnemann's drama depicts the spiritual tug of war of a young nun, beautifully played by Audrey Hepburn, between adherence to vows of chastity and obedience and rebellion against those values for her self-fulfillment

August 23, 2006 | Rating: A | Full Review…

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Moving, controversial (for its time) religious tale starring Audrey Hepburn.

August 1, 2005 | Rating: 4/5

Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com

View All Critic Reviews (17)

Audience Reviews for The Nun's Story

Jan 23, 2014

Audrey Hepburn is superb as the nun who undergoes a number of personal changes as a sister in an order of nuns. The ending is blunt in a positive way.

John B Super Reviewer
Feb 01, 2012

(1959 Director: Fred Zinnemann) Excellent role for Audrey Hepburn who won a BAFTA award for her portrayal of Sister Luke, daughter of a famous surgeon. Sister Luke just shortly prior to the start of World War II travels to Africa and becomes the surgical nurse assisting their Surgeon (Peter Finch-who won a BAFTA Best Actor nomination) whom she meets while assigned to a convent/hospital in the Congo Republic. Sister Luke replaces a nun who contracted tuberculosis. No antibiotics yet (pre WW II) so that nun was forced to return to Belgium, a better climate to improve her chances against TB. During her stay in the Congo, Sister Luke also contracts tuberculosis, but through the support and tenderness of the Congonese and her hospital sheovercomes it. The selfless devotion of those in her Catholic Order are admirable. This film is a snapshot of an earlier time period portrayed convincingly by all. The film received nominations in 1960 for Academy Awards for best cinematography, best sound, best writing adapted screenplay and Golden Globe nominations.

Teresa S Super Reviewer
Feb 01, 2012

Having been raised in a Catholic School, this paints a pretty accurate pic of nuns -- I'm sorry she left, because she had more common sense than all the others

Tom E Super Reviewer
Feb 01, 2012

So very long, but it was alright besides.

Leigh R Super Reviewer

See all Audience reviews

The Nun's Story Quotes

Gabrielle Van Der Mal:	Prayer: "Lord, the more I try, the more imperfect I become. I seem to fail in charity, humility, and obedience. Pride is not been burnt out of me. When I succeed in obeying the rule, I fail at the same time because I have pride in succeeding."
Gabrielle Van Der Mal:	Lord, the more I try, the more imperfect I become. I seem to fail in charity, humility, and obedience. Pride is not been burnt out of me. When I succeed in obeying the rule, I fail at the same time because I have pride in succeeding.

View All Quotes