Nuns on the Run

"From now on, it's every nun for himself!"

1990 1h 29m EN

😐

5.9

MID

🥫

42%

ROTTEN

⭐

IMDB

★5.9TMDB · 164🥫42%Rotten Tomatoes★6IMDB · 9,203

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Set up by their boss to be knocked off following a final heist, soon-to-retire crooks Brian Hope and Charlie McManus get wind of their impending demise and run off with the spoils of their crime. Fleeing their boss, the drug dealers they robbed, the police, and Brian's angry girlfriend, the duo take refuge in a training convent for nuns. In disguise, they convince Sister Superior that they're nuns, a charade they're forced to maintain as their enemies arrive.

“From now on, it's every nun for himself!”

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Cast

Eric Idle
Brian Hope
Robbie Coltrane
Charlie McManus
Camille Coduri
Faith
Janet Suzman
Sister Superior
Doris Hare
Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart
Lila Kaye
Sister Mary of the Annunciation
Robert Patterson
'Case' Casey
Tom Hickey
Father Seamus

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jonathan Lynn
Writers: Jonathan Lynn
Languages: Cantonese, English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

89 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

36 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Cantonese, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jonathan Lynn, shot by Michael Garfath. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hidden Faces. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Martin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane and Camille Coduri carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "From now on, it's every nun for himself!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jonathan Lynn directs. Michael Garfath behind the camera. Hidden Faces scores. David Martin cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in Cantonese, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

189 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
236 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Cantonese, English.
4Directed by Jonathan Lynn, shot by Michael Garfath. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Hidden Faces. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor David Martin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane and Camille Coduri carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "From now on, it's every nun for himself!".
9IMDB entry: tt0100280 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 14 themes, including "nun", "gangster", "drug trafficking", "stolen money".

The technical file

Cinematography: Michael Garfath
Original score: Hidden Faces
Editing: David Martin
Makeup / hair: Pat Hay
Stunt coordinator: Martin Grace
Runtime: 89 min · 1h 29m
Status: Released
Box office: $10,959,015
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Nuns on the Run (1990)
Rotten Tomatoes: 42% 🥫 Rotten
IMDB rating: 6/10 · 9,203 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Also by

Jonathan Lynn

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

kevin20192025-07-04
★ 8/10
"Nuns on the Run" is a tremendously fun film from the very beginning. The humour is consistently funny, the fast pace is effortlessly and enthusiastically maintained throughout, and it somehow manages to effectively poke fun at assorted aspects of organised religion without actually angering anyone by being outright insulting. The humour works splendidly and it is often spiced up with some moments of cheeky sauce that again fails to be offensive just like the necessary religious elements of the film which could have been considered downright objectionable and in very poor taste indeed by some people. This film is also provided with an additional boost of energy by the music of Swiss electronic band "Yello" and in particular by the terrific ex-Beatle George Harrison, but overall this is an incredibly accomplished and well polished comedy film.

Production companies