The Nun II Review: Scares Up Success as a Worthy Sequel in the Conjuring Universe

Release date	September 8, 2023
Cast	Demián Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons, Ingrid Bisu, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Charlotte Hope, Sandra Teles, Maria Obretin, August Maturo, Jack Falk, Lynnette Gaza, Ani Sava, Michael Smiley, Bishop Pasquale, Gabrielle Downey, David Horovitch
Director	Michael Chaves
Producer	Peter Safran, James Wan
Genre	Horror, Mystery & thriller
IMDb rating	5.3/10

A detailed review of “The Nun”

The Nun II picks up four years after The Nun. Sister Irene, played by Taissa Farmiga, now finds herself in Italy. She is keeping a low profile after her previous encounters in Romania. A new mission unfolds when a priest deliberately sets himself on fire. It marks the latest in a series of supernatural murders targeting clergy. Sister Irene, along with the fresh-faced Sister Debra (played by Storm Reid), embarks on a journey across Europe to hunt down the elusive Valak.

Directed by Michael Chaves, known for The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, The Nun II is more put together than its predecessor. The story, crafted by Akela Cooper, the creative mind behind Malignant and M3GAN, starts a bit slow, taking time to introduce the characters. We learn about Sister Debra's poignant backstory and her struggles with faith, witness Maurice's (played by Jonas Bloquet) new role as a handyman at a French school, and delve into Sister Irene's flashbacks about her late mother – all set to pay off later in the story.

The end of The Nun II gets exciting, like in M3GAN and Malignant. There are walking corpses and a strange demon creature. Plus, there's this cool thing like in Indiana Jones called a MacGuffin, and a big, dramatic fight happens in a pool of red wine. Cooper, the person who made the story, likes weird and crazy stuff. If you like spooky adventures with a touch of religion you should watch this. 

Now, about Valak, the Nun herself. While she made a striking impression in James Wan’s Conjuring sequel. She leans more towards being a visually spooky figure than a genuinely terrifying villain. But her powers and motives remain largely undefined. Chaves maximizes her on-screen presence. By incorporating nun-like shapes throughout the film.  It includes statues, peeling paint, and wisps of smoke in darkened archways. A standout moment features Valak manifesting in the fluttering pages of a newsstand. A truly chilling scene and a reminder of the pre-internet era when magazines ruled.

In short, The Nun II might not become super famous in scary movie history. But it's a well-made part of The Conjuring series. There are cool pictures and some weird stuff. But Akela Cooper knows how to tell a spooky story. It might not be the best, but it's worth watching. Especially if you like nuns and scares.

 

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