The Nun

Overview

A priest with a dark past and a novice nearing her final vows are sent by the Vatican to Romania to investigate a nun's death and face a demonic force.

Rating

9 Reviews

• 

  Dean

  4 Aug 26, 2019

  I wanted to like this movie because it's connected to Conjuring movies, but it was awful, even from the start it was obvious. It was a dull, boring movie with cheap jump scares. The only reason I'm giving it 4 and not 3, because it was shot nicely and acting wasn't that bad.

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  John Chard

  6 Oct 7, 2019

  The Nunjuring! When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate... So here we have the latest spin-off from the one time high quality "Conjuring" franchise. Sticking strictly to a formula that will either infuriate or satiate horror genre fans, "The Nun" delivers enough creepy boo-jump tropes to keep it above average. There's plenty of roaming about dark corridors and churchyards, with lanterns our only prominent saviours from the terrors of the dark. If, and it's a big if, you don't mind that Corin Hardy's film isn't trying to raise the bar for horror, and is in fact staying safe, then there's a decent enough good time to be had here. If you be one of those who constantly moans about bringing nothing new to the table, don't bother with this one, in fact, think of something new to bring to the table yourselves then... The set-pieces hold up well enough (buried alive shiver shiver), the atmospheric dread only occasionally punctured by Abel Korzeniowski's bombastic score. The story is interesting enough, such as why the entity is bringing terror to the abbey, what is the link to the "Warren" family, and the backstory axis for Father Burke (Demián Bichir) brings another demonic layer to the plotting. While talking about "bringing something new to the table", for the first time in this series we actually get a bit of humour, mostly from Jonas Bloquet's likable Frenchie character. Taissa Farmiga holds the lead well, where she has a very appealing visual reaction style that will serve her well if she stays in genre mode. While Maxime Alexandre's cinematography (low lights and fogs) is a big improvement from "Annabelle: Creation" and is tonally compliant. This formula has been done much better previously, such as Hammer's take on "The Woman In Black", but even then they were going on about new stuff being brought to the table etc etc etc. It is what it is, a boo-jump haunted house (buildings) picture that is there for those who like such things, who buy into it on that level. Is this a great film? Absolutely not, but it works on its intended terms and any expectation of a new branch of horror is going to have you crying over spilt blood. 6/10

• 

  Gimly

  4 Aug 12, 2020

  Not the literal **worst** entry in the series (that laurel still rests firmly upon the crown of _Annabelle_) and there was a couple of cool design moments, like creepy hands busting out of statues, even the acting is of acceptable level. But that's about everything positive I can say for _The Nun_, 'cause this is pretty dang bad. _Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product._

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  GenerationofSwine

  1 Jan 12, 2023

  It looks like they attempted to make an inoffensive horror movie...not really in the PC sense of the word, but in the "we are going to do just enough to get an 'R' rating in an otherwise PG movie" sense of the word. It's not really frightening. It's not really scary, it's not really gory, and the nun herself is not really ominous. It just sort of is. And, really, it could be a lot better.

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  r96sk

  5 Jan 28, 2025

  'The Nun' is a let down. Based upon the glimpses we kept getting of this character in the preceding films from 'The Conjuring' universe, I was looking forward to seeing a movie about this character. Sadly, it's not a good watch. Demián Bichir, Taissa Farmiga (surname makes sense, I did think that she looked like Vera) and Jonas Bloquet aren't the worst actors to follow, in fact I didn't mind them, but their performances and their characters are equally forgettable. No-one else makes a mark onscreen. How Valak is portrayed is the issue, the close-ups really do take the creep factor away - same can be said for when the demons speak too, that village idiot line is very out of place. I do approve that The Nun moves about though, which is better than it largely staying still - à la 'Annabelle'. Longer shots and more silence would've done wonders. Six releases in, this franchise has been a rather large disappointment. Fingers crosssed the most recent four movies manage to satisfy me.

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  ssldr

  Jul 2, 2025

  It had good (not great) horror potential given the build up from 'The Conjuring' Franchise. However, the storyline just bottomed out completely from the very first few minutes. The dead "evil nun" haunting and killing the living became a cliché faster than it took for the sequel to be released. Which was, dare I say, worse. May all of your upcoming movies be far less wretched. May The Force Be With You! (whoops! wrong quote!)