This is a review for Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema’s The Nun 2; a spin-off/prequel, that’s part of The Conjuring Universe franchise; directed by Michael Chaves.
Synopsis
‘1956 – France. A priest is murdered. An evil is spreading. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun.’
Who stars in The Nun 2?
This horror film stars Taissa Farmiga as Irene, Bonnie Aarons as Valak/The Demon Nun, Jonas Bloquet as Maurice, Storm Reid as Debra, Anna Popplewell as Kate and Katelyn Rose Downey as Sophie.
Review
The Nun 2 has a scary opening and the film was starting to seem interesting at the beginning with the mystery surrounding Valak, and then the film’s plot gets weaker and weaker as it goes on, eventually falling apart at the end.
The plot is dull and simple; a generic surface level horror, that’s like a lot of films in this genre being released in recent years, with very low stakes.
An attempt at mystery in the film feels like it was rushed and executed poorly; that inevitably delivers a disappointing ‘pay-off’.
Decent performances from Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet and an impressive standout role from child actor Katelyn Rose Downey. I felt very invested in Bloquet’s Maurice, and it makes it more scary to have a likeable character go through what he did.
Visuals
There’s a steady amount of creativity in those suspenseful and frightening jump scares, that’s spread throughout the film; especially with the magazines, ventilation scene and some unsettling moments involving fire.
The part where The Demon Nun appears and then blends in with textures of an old wall, was a clever edit.
I enjoyed the colour grading of cool blue colours and warm orange and reds combined with excellent lighting.
Make-up for the Nun by Eleanor Sabaduquia and the way Valak is presented in scenes was terrifyingly brilliant!
As this is set in the 1950s, It’s always tricky to maintain that time period and they have done a phenomenal job with continuity between the filming locations and costume designs that look awesome!
Music
Usually, Marco Beltrami’s work is outstanding, especially for the Scream franchise, however there was not really any standout themes in this movie apart from a track in the final act.
Final Thoughts
With a runtime of 1 hour and 50 minutes, the movie has pacing issues; with a rushed investigation which leads to a ridiculous final act that falls flat and fizzles out rather fast, it just has some good jump scares.
Is there a credit scene in The Nun 2?
Yes, there is one mid-credit scene and it’s something that avid fans of The Conjuring Universe will likely enjoy.
