The Little Hours is a hilarious and ribald romp involving nuns, priests, laborers and hypocrisy. Though it takes place in the 14th century and features era-appropriate setting and attire, the dialogue and behavior are decidedly modern.

To open the film, three nuns at a convent diligently attend to their daily chores-an innocent beginning. When a polite handyman merely says hello, one of the nuns, Fernanda, lambasts him, "you f***ing pervert! Don't look at us!" Clearly the unhinged member of the group, Fernanda is played wonderfully by Aubrey Plaza, who seems to have a knack for this sort of thing.

The other two nuns, Alessandra (Alison Brie) and Genevra (Kate Micucci), also deal with their own demons, though without the same raging outbursts. All of them are sexually repressed and desperate for attention, so when a handsome laborer (Dave Franco) shows up, they all aggressively pursue him in their own way.

The introduction of a man into an all-female environment calls to mind themes of The Beguiled. The women compete for his attention, throwing themselves lustily at the poor fella, who is only here because he had to flea his prior post for sneaking around with the owner's wife. He wants to avoid similar trouble here but can only resist for so long.

The plot could easily read as a tragedy if a few tweaks were made. It's an illustration of how fine the line can be between comedy and deep drama.

But, of course, no one would mistake this for a drama. The actors make sure of that. Plaza's ruthless, domineering presence intimidates fellow characters and amuses viewers, who are safe from her wrath. Micucci masterfully plays the smarmy beta, fearful and uncertain of everything. When she finally cuts loose, she's a tornado of libido. Her knack for physical comedy and facial contortions make her the comedy standout of the film. And John C. Reilly's drunken, blubbering priest listens carefully to confessions and gives sage advice but is hiding depravity of his own.

As the plot dives deeper and deeper into exaggerated hypocrisy, it becomes funnier and funnier. The bold and self-assured delivery of its barbs at religion is a clear acknowledgement that it smirks at those who may find the material offensive.

With less capable direction, this movie could have sputtered halfway through. It operates mostly on the strength of one joke, so competent hands at the reigns were necessary to maintain the momentum.

The messages are complex and heavy, but the film approaches with a light touch. It remains hilarious throughout, no matter how ridiculous the events unfolding become.

Loosen up and enjoy this one. It's a riot.

One of the genres of cult movies is called nunsploitation. It focuses on nuns - usually in a medieval or Renaissance setting - and their sexual repression. Jeff Baena's oddball movie "The Little Hours" takes this genre and turns it into a black comedy. The setting is a convent in 1347 Italy, and the main focus is three nuns who see their vows challenged when a man gets hired in the convent.

This is definitely NOT a movie for everyone. The slow pace and understated humor is guaranteed to turn a lot of viewers off. To be certain, nothing about the movie is intended as serious. Far from the sorts of movies wherein every medieval character has an English accent, most of the nuns here talk like valley girls!

Anyway, it's a weird but funny depiction of cloistered life in the Late Middle Ages. I think that you should check it out, even if you end up not liking it. The cast includes Alison Brie (Ruth on "GLOW"), Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Dave Franco, Molly Shannon and Fred Armisen.

It's 1347 Garfagnana in central Italy. Father Tommasso (John C. Reilly) runs a convent. Sister Marea (Molly Shannon) is the senior nun. Sister Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza) is volatile. Sister Ginevra (Kate Micucci) is a follower with secrets. Sister Alessandra (Alison Brie) wants to leave for married life despite her father. In his drunken state, Tommasso loses the nuns' embroidery on his way to the market. Massetto (Dave Franco) assists him and in return, he takes in Massetto who is on the run from his vengeful master. Massetto pretends to be deaf mute. Fernanda's childhood friend Marta (Jemima Kirke) arrives and chaos ensues.

This is a strange little movie. It's a spoof of sorts but it's also a little serious. Too often, the movie goes into silly which is not silly enough. This probably works better as a dark comedy. When Fred Armisen arrives, the movie falls completely into SNL skit territories. That role needs a serious character actor. This movie struggles between an SNL spoof and a serious dark comedy. It fails to pick a side and clunks along both tracks.