Jay Rohr
EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like The Nun II might not exist.
The Nun II needs to go to confession. There to admit to cinema sins it brazenly committed. Fans of The Conjuring universe may forgive some of these failings but never forget them entirely. Lazy screenwriting mixed with wasted potential makes The Nun II horrifying—just not in the ways a fright flick should be.
The story takes place four years after the first. Despite defeat, the demonic entity known as Valak has returned. Summoned from the quiet convent in which she’s hidden away, a reluctant Sister Irene is ordered by the Catholic church to investigate the slaying of priests and nuns. These grotesque murders leave a trail to a French boarding school where the ethereal evil is searching for a holy relic. With children in danger, and sanity at risk, Sister Irene must race against time to stop the demon’s nefarious plot.
It takes about five minutes before the movie hints at how disappointing it will be. This involves one of the most tired horror scares in cinema. Granted, filmmakers try to give this boring routine some new life, but they only succeed in advertising how devoid of interesting ideas The Nun II will be. From there, the film distracts with a gruesome kill, but whatever hope that offers is quickly dashed as well.
Some set piece scares keep The Nun II from drowning entirely. There are certain solid builds on occasion. Director Michael Chaves does a good job setting up shots so the reveal of the Nun is meant to mount tension. Her fingers creep around a doorframe or her horrifying visage gradually grows out of the shadows. However, these instances are too few and far between to give the movie much macabre momentum.
Jump scares remain the bread and butter of The Nun II. Yet, these become so predictable even when they shock, the audience doesn’t remain shook for long. They’re sparks thrown at a dying fire. And the overall lack of atmosphere prevents The Nun II from ever instilling much terror.
That was a strength for the first film, one which harkened back to the classic Universal horror movies. There is nothing similar in this sequel. Although it doesn’t appear poorly shot, The Nun II doesn’t offer anything visually intriguing. At least not in abundance.
There are some standout instances such as the titular Nun emerging from nowhere or at one point—spoiler warning—becoming like a silhouette stain on a wall. Such moments are so marvelous they leave the audience wanting more, but even though the moviemakers are clearly capable, they offer nothing. It’s like being teased with the lick of a spoon from a fabulous entrée then being given expired junk food instead.
Taissa Farmiga returns to the role of Irene. Unfortunately, there’s never any indication of the character having grown. Seeds are planted throughout the plot for interesting introspection, but the movie never sees fit to follow them anywhere. Though acted well enough, the part has fewer facets than the first film. As The Nun II unfolds, there are no stakes or journey for her outside generic genre demands. Like too many horror sequels, the movie does nothing to address the aftermath of the previous film. Sister Irene therefore becomes nothing more than a means for exposition dumps and a single set piece scare.
Storm Reid joins the cast as Sister Debra. Her inclusion opens the door for a lot of possibilities. None of which The Nun II explores. It’s hard to gauge the performance since the character is given so little to do. The role becomes little more than another person in a habit running around. Yet, the brief period Storm Reid is given interesting dialogue she brings the role to life.
Jonas Bloquet also returns as Frenchie. However, his role suffers from the same pitfalls as Sister Irene. Anne Popplewell and Katelyn Rose Downey play Kate and Sophie, a mother daughter duo whose relationship with Frenchie gives him some fresh dimension. Unfortunately, this then leads back to the squandered potential of The Nun II.
It would be grossly egotistical to suggest what such potential threads could’ve been woven into, but there is no doubt the story could have produced a more intriguing tapestry. The Nun II, narratively speaking, feels like all the pitches at a brainstorming session slapped together into a film. Then some cliché dialogue, particularly about having faith, gets mixed in using some trite formulaic conventions. Consequently, The Nun II constantly gives off the impression of an underbaked soufflé. Although all the ingredients are in place for a satisfying treat, the whole thing collapses into an unappetizing mess.
Within the sphere that is The Conjuring cinematic universe, The Nun II is the ninth film in the franchise. If there is a fair and benevolent god, it will be the beginning of an end that should’ve started several movies back. This is the kind of lazy sequel that haunts the horror genre and insults fans to the core. Nothing interesting is done with the elements that suggested a spin-off might be worth making; whatever clever horror could’ve been mined from this concept is wasted on clichéd frights.
The Nun II isn’t terrible. I’ve certainly seen far worse. However, what makes it most disturbing is how well it fits into the emerging business model of the new Hollywood, a film ideal for second-screen content. That’s to say a movie one can stream in the background while engaged on a phone, occasionally glancing over for the more interesting set piece scares.
I had the privilege of seeing The Nun II at an advancing viewing with a full audience. It was intriguing to witness how folks there would exclaim in nervous anticipation at the start of a setup then sigh in collective disappointment at the piss-poor payoff. And nothing sums up this film better than that.
