The Nun 2 review: A horrifying, holy, but hollow time
Warner Bros.Grab your holy water and your rosaries, as the demonic Nun 2 is finally in cinemas. However, this sequel is far from your horror salvation.
Horror franchises are a mainstay in our cinematic culture, and one of the best-known is James Wan’s The Conjuring series, which features none other than The Nun.
The Nun 2 follows Sister Irene as she once again deals with the demonic entity Valak. Only this time, it’s possessed her friend Maurice, and his travels are about to land him, and the entire world, in grave danger.
While the first Nun movie was met with mixed critical reception, a sequel was inevitable. However, with horror sequels often fairing even poorer than the first, The Nun 2 was not particularly anticipated with high expectations. But how does the film fare against those expectations? Let’s get into it, but first, a warning: SLIGHT THE NUN 2 SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Nun 2 is filled with frights
If you’re looking for scares, The Nun 2 will likely not disappoint you, with the very first scene feeling like a gut punch. Granted, the film seems to opt for quantity rather than quality. So while there isn’t much variation when it comes to frights, the sheer number of jump-scare setups throughout the movie will have you tense enough.
This is in spite of the fact that sometimes the titular monster comes across more silly than scary. This is perhaps what the franchise is going for, aiming for the Nun to be more of a M3GAN rather than a Babadook, but there are some shots of our villain that may pull you out of the movie – one scene in particular feels like a homage to The Shining, which simply reminds us that we could be watching a better movie.
It doesn’t help that the CGI is particularly lacking in close-up shots of the Nun, making Valak appear like a video game final boss rather than a horror icon. But the way she kills her victims is certainly brutal enough to make for some memorable scenes – even children aren’t safe from her wrath – and the suspense inevitably brought from her possession of an unknowing Maurice makes for a suitable build of narrative tension.
There’s lots of scares, but little substance
Unlike great horror movies, which bring something new to the genre, or mix the scares in with an emotionally substantial plot, The Nun 2 hardly strays from what’s been done before, and treats its plot and characters as a means to an end.
The characters are pretty stock standard, with performances to match. Though to the movie’s credit, the child acting is pretty darn good, which considering the child performances we’ve seen in horror films before, is something worth noting. Plus, the main characters are plenty likable, so while they lack any real depth, you at least want to see them make it out of Valak’s clutches unharmed.
But it’s a shame that there’s no real attempt to bring any subversions or intriguing elements to the plot. The potential that could be drawn from Irene having to battle a possessed Maurice is thoroughly wasted, and while a revelation that Irene makes in the film’s climax does make for a fun twist – and makes for some interesting religious history – it adds little in terms of protagonist catharsis.
Plus, while we won’t spoil the ending here (check out our ending explained article here) the way in which the evil is defeated is ridiculous to the point of parody, and makes for a memorable ending for all the wrong reasons.
The Nun 2 review score: 2/5
If you like the first movie, you’ll probably enjoy this one. The Nun is a fun and memorable horror character, and the human characters are likable enough that you won’t actively hate watching any scene of this flick.
However, The Nun 2 is hardly going to go down as one of the horror greats. The film as a whole feels rather basic, when it’s not bordering on ridiculous. We think you’ll have fun, especially if you plan on watching it around Halloween. But don’t expect a religious revelation.
The Nun 2 is now in cinemas. For more about the movie, check out our coverage below: