10/06/2023
The Nun II (2023) Rated R
imdb 5.8
Warning: comments may have spoilers
Have you ever looked back at your past and think to yourself, "I can't believe I did that." Be it an odd hairdo, some terrible clothing styles, or a past relationship - who hasn't looked back at their past and wondered why they did the things they did? For me it was looking back at my review for "The Nun" back in 2018. Now I don't necessarily despise it, but I find it to be one of the weaker outings in the struggling "The Conjuring" franchise, so I figured I gave the film a C+ at best - only to discover somehow, someway, I gave it an A? What was I thinking? Thankfully I won't be making that same mistake with the sequel...bar NUN (hehe).
Years after Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) thought she sent the demon Valak (Bonnie Aarons) back to hell (but only succeeded in sending the demon into the body of groundskeeper Maurice), Valak - through Maurice (Jonas Bloquet), is traversing the French countryside in search of an ancient relic that could give her unimaginable power. Maurice is unaware that the demon is leading him and is totally oblivious to the murderous path she's carved for him, and now he's working at a school and crushing on single mom schoolteacher Kate (Anna Popplewell) as well as taking a father figure role to her daughter Sophie (Katelyn Rose Downey). Yet none of them are safe as Valak still roams in the form of a nun, as she wreaks havoc and fear at the school.
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This draws the attention of the Cardinal, who tells Irene she must go to the school to drive Valak out once and for all, and newbie nun Debra (Storm Reid) - who's going through her own bout with doubt - accompanies her. Upon arrival Irene has visions of the fabled relic that Valak is seeking, and it becomes a race against time for Sister Irene to find it before Valak does, and wreaks havoc on the entire world.
The Good:
Taissa Farmiga is every bit as great as her older sister Vera in "The Conjuring" universe, and after the novice of the first film has worn off, she returns with a more steadfast resolve to send the demon back to hell where it belongs. She knows Valak's play now, and sets out to stop her once and for all. This doesn't mean it's easy, but Farmiga has an effortless charm about her that makes her (and by proxy her character) endearing enough to make her enjoyable to see on screen.
Each of "The Conjuring" films has a specific moment that really sticks with you, be it the hanging tree in the first "Conjuring" or the stair lift thing in "Annabelle: Creation," there's a scene that resonates with the audience. "The Nun II" actually has that moment when Sister Irene is alone in a dark alleyway and finds a magazine stand. One by one the pages of the magazines start turning on their own until they're all going at a breakneck pace, culminating in an intriguing visual of the nun in the pages. It was really cool to see, and from what I heard behind the scenes it was really difficult to pull off, so kudos to the filmmakers for making it work.
The characters are all enjoyable and there's not really a bad thing to say about their performances per-se. Storm Reid is a welcome addition as a sister who's going through her own doubts. "The Chronicles of Narnia" star Anna Poppelwell steps from the child role to the adult here and showcases a strength and resilience much needed for a film like this. Newcomer Katelyn Rose Downey shines as the young Sophie, while Jonas Bloquet returns as the hapless Maurice who's unwittingly carrying Valak with him.
The setting is effective in establishing the frights, as there's hardly any sunlight to be seen, and the school itself is built on an old monastery that obviously didn't have the budget for effective lighting.
The Bad:
The Nun first appeared in "The Conjuring 2" and she was truly terrifying. All we knew about her is that her name was Valak and she was a demon, and something to truly fear. Then in her own movie she was relegated to the background, the shadows, where she pops up a few times to elicit scares in the audience - but not much more was known about her. The trailers for "The Nun II" promised the true origins of Valak, but we were let down yet again. Instead of understanding the demon, all this movie did was push her, again, to the shadows where she pops out in inopportune times and in a way that the audience knows is going to happen. Silence. Small creaks. Darkness. You can just hear behind the camera director Michael Chaves thinking that he's about to scare audience members of their seats with the next jump scare, but they're so drawn out you jump only because you fell asleep before the payoff.
This does a great disservice to Valak, as the majority of the film she hides in the shadows or is front and center of screen but far away, while you tap your foot in annoyance waiting for her to eventually flash forward to the screen with a shrill scream. All she does is scream, look menacingly, and utilize her still unknown powers. One moment she's setting a priest on fire, but then she needs the help of a demon goat-thing for some reason. She can kill a kid effortlessly, but then have terrible trouble doing it again. She seemingly relies on Maurice so much that he gets front and center status while she's once again pushed to the side, existing only to spook the audience every now and then.
Speaking of Maurice, he's got to be the stupidest antagonist (or protagonist?) in modern horror history, as he somehow doesn't have a clue Valak is leading him from place to place, leaving death in her wake. What's worse is that he gets the most screen time out of everyone (even Taissa Farmiga), and his shtick of the lovelorn groundskeeper gets old fast.
Sister Irene really doesn't come into her own until halfway through the film when the writers realized they forgot to write her in, so they introduce a new concept where she's possibly the descendant of a blind saint, who's eyes Valak needs to be...more powerful, I guess? Even though Sister Irene says Valak is growing more powerful by the day, I guess she also needs those eyes for an extra umph. Inexplicably this also showcases Valak's idiocy, as the relic she's been seeking for apparently four or five years now was found by Sister Irene in a matter of hours (I leaned over to my friend who was watching the movie with me and uttered, "thanks NUNcy Drew" and she laughed, and it was one of the best puns I've ever come up with).
Michael Chaves has now directed three of the worst "Conjuring" films to date - "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It," "The Curse of La Llorona," and now "The Nun II." You'd think after one terrible film they wouldn't go to him again, but definitely not after two disasters. Hopefully they finally learned their lesson and will keep him far, far away from the beloved Warrens and their less-than-beloved spinoffs.
The Summary:
The law of diminishing returns is a principle that states profits or benefits gained will represent a smaller gain the more money is invested in it, and when you think of time and overall effectiveness, "The Conjuring" universe is seeing that diminishing return with "The Nun II," an overall lackluster affair that once again makes their most profitable demon relegated to the shadows.
Joe's Score: C-
Joe James
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Movie Chatr would like to thank Joe James for such a great review of this film!
P.S. Check out http://joemamamoviereview.blogspot.com/ for many more insightful reviews!
What are your thoughts? Have you seen this movie? Do you think you might consider watching it? Let us know in the comments below!
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