Netflix Supernatural Horror Hit Stands Out In Blockbuster Franchise

The Nun is the fifth installment in the Conjuring shared universe and is the first chronologically in the franchise’s storyline. It brings back the Demon nun known as Valak from The Conjuring 2, and yes, she’s still pretty scary. As for the story, it follows a Roman Catholic priest and a nun going through her novitiate (basically nun training), and they find a horrifying secret in 1952 Romania. 

Now, to The Nun’s credit, the movie certainly builds a perfectly creepy, gothic atmosphere, and the setting of 1952 Romania helps it stand out from other entries in the Conjuring franchise. But personally, that’s where my praise ends.

Now, to The Nun’s credit, the movie certainly builds a perfectly creepy, gothic atmosphere, and the setting of 1952 Romania helps it stand out from other entries in the Conjuring franchise. But personally, that’s where my praise ends.

The movie just kind of falls apart after the interesting first half, and the story just isn’t good enough to justify checking the film out unless you’re a real fan of the Conjuring universe and want some Valak lore. Even then, the film doesn’t delve deep enough into this interesting character.

To the cast’s credit, they make the most of what they have with The Nun. Taissa Farmiga (younger sister of The Conjuring star Vera Farmiga) and Demian Bichir lead the cast, with Bonnie Aarons reprising her role as the Demon Nun incarnation of Valak. Sure, there are jump scares. too, but that’s not really what the Conjuring franchise is built on.

Still, the popularity of the franchise was enough to get The Nun quite a big audience, as it managed to gross $366 million worldwide and become the highest-grossing entry to the series. That’s good for the longevity of the Conjuring franchise, and it was enough to get a sequel with The Nun II. Actually, The Nun II ends up being the better film, so it is sort of important to check this one out if you’re planning on learning more.

REVIEW SCORE

Apparently, The Nun and The Nun II are going to become somewhat essential viewing, as it’s been confirmed that there will be a connection between The Nun 2 and the upcoming fourth film in the mainline franchise titled The Conjuring: Last Rites. Perhaps what’s disappointing is that there is a lot of lore in the Conjuring universe, which is why we fans like the franchise so much, and The Nun just under-delivered. In other words, it could have been a lot better, which is always a recipe for fan disappointment. 

With all that being said, I can say you might enjoy The Nun if you like gothic period piece horror settings, the Conjuring franchise as a whole, and a creepy atmosphere. Outside of that, it’s hard to give it a glowing recommendation. You can stream the film now on Netflix.