The Little Hours is a 2017 American medieval black comedy film written and directed by Jeff Baena. The film is loosely based on the first and second stories of day three of ten of The Decameron, a collection of novellas by Giovanni Boccaccio, a 14th-century Italian writer. It stars an ensemble cast featuring Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, and Molly Shannon.

Plot

In the year 1347 in Garfagnana, Italy, a convent of nuns is led by Father Tommasso. The three nuns at the center of the story are: Alessandra, who wants a better life for herself but is held at the convent due to her father's support of the church; Ginevra, a gossip who is later revealed to be a Jewish lesbian; and Fernanda, a violent sadist. The three of them routinely assault the friendly gardener Lurco, who quits in disgust. Meanwhile, in Lunigiana, a young servant named Massetto is caught having sex with his master's wife. While on the run, he discovers Father Tommasso, who has gone to sell some embroidery but has instead gotten drunk and lost his possessions in the river. Massetto helps him return home and the two arrange to have Massetto work as a gardener while pretending to be a deaf-mute, in hopes that this will dissuade the nuns from giving him trouble.