Nuns on the Run (1990)

Nuns on the Run is the kind of caper comedy that wins you over on sheer comic momentum: two desperate London crooks, played with impeccable timing by Eric Idle and a wonderfully hulking, tender-funny Robbie Coltrane, duck into the last place anyone would think to look—a convent—and the movie milks that hiding-in-plain-sight premise for steady, good-natured laughs. Director Jonathan Lynn keeps the pace brisk and the tone breezy, balancing chase-movie jitters with fish-out-of-water absurdity, so even the criminal chaos feels more mischievous than mean. It’s not a razor-edged satire and it does indulge in some broad, cheeky bits (including a brief shower scene), but if you’re on the fence and want an easy, upbeat crime farce with real charm and two performers clearly having a blast, this one earns its chuckles.

Nuns on the Run is trying to be a cheeky, fast-paced British caper where two bungling crooks hide in plain sight, with Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane leaning hard into the odd-couple energy. The problem is the central “men dressed as nuns” gag does most of the heavy lifting, and if that premise doesn’t instantly amuse you, the comedy can feel repetitive and a bit thin on genuinely sharp ideas. It’s also not especially respectful about its convent setting, so if you’re sensitive to jokes at nuns’ expense (or just tired of cross-dressing farce), this will grate more than it entertains. Still, when it relaxes into character banter and low-stakes silliness, it can be mildly charming—just don’t go in expecting a clever crime comedy or consistent laugh rate.