BLOOD WORK: THE HORROR HARVEST: THE NUN II (2023)

THE NUN II (2023)

The Conjuring umbrella of films have gifted audiences with some great horror experiences, memorable characters, and some new horror icons. The Annabelle doll has really earned its place among the Rushmore of creepy horror dolls. But if there's one character from these films that really stands above the rest, in our humble opinion, it's Valak a.k.a. The Nun.

First introduced in The Conjuring II (2016), Valak took everyone by surprise, stealing the show. A terrifying character design accompanied by a handful of effective and terrifying sequences, this character left a lasting impression with us here at Blood Work and with many others. When news hit of a spinoff film centering on the Nun, the horror community teemed with excitement. I don't think James Wan nor the other filmmakers involved knew the expectations set for this film nor the high bar they'd be expected to hit with this film.

When The Nun came out in theaters in 2018 it was met with mixed reviews. Some loved it. Some hated it. Some thought it was okay. The approach to the film was quite different than any of the other Conjuring films. Rather than a "decades past" modern American setting, The Nun takes place in Europe with the medieval trappings of gothic Romania and everything that comes along with it. That included an "old world" Draculian approach to the character and storytelling. This differentiated it from the other Conjuring films, embracing a different style of horror film and horror experience.

For us here at Blood Work, we loved it. To us it felt like an old school Hammer Horror film. If the other evil entities in the Conjuring films were comparable to vampires, Valak felt like Dracula, the lord of all vampires. A next level threat beyond any other in the franchise. Despite the mixed reception the film became the highest grossing entry in the Conjuring franchise to date. We hoped that meant there'd be a sequel someday.

And finally, five years later... THE NUN II has arrived in theaters!

And we were first in line to see it!

THE SYNOPSIS

Sister Irene is called upon by the Vatican to once again investigate a series of incidents in France baring a striking resemblance to her encounter in Romania. Terrified at the prospect of facing that demon once again, she hesitates. With the help of a friend, she travels to a small boarding school in France where she encounters an old friend, one she never expected to meet again. There she discovers the demon she believed banished to Hell is alive and well. And more powerful than before.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The movie begins with a bang, off and running right out of the gate, trying to start off on a similar foot to the previous film with a brutal event setting everything into motion. Gone are the old world trappings of the Romanian countryside, the looming castles, and haunted graveyards which, to be honest, we miss a little bit (you just don't get those kinds of classic horror settings very often anymore). The new setting though, in a quaint old French town and dilapidated boarding school still provide plenty of gothic atmosphere and sense of foreboding. While moving out of the castle for the city, the filmmakers still maintain the old European esthetic and gothic trappings, which was so much of a highlight in the first film and works well here.

The Hammer Horror vibe is still very much alive in this film, much to the film's benefit. If the first Nun film was DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS, then The Nun II is akin to DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (when Dracula leaves his castle and begins preying upon the unsuspecting citizens of a European township). Valak terrorizes the people of this small French town and all-girls boarding school. There's a collapsed chapel in the boarding school which provides many great sequences, one in which "the eye of the devil" is upon you.

Sister Irene and Maurice "Frenchie" return for the film, but sadly no Father Burke (disappointingly killed off screen, which we hope was just a lie. It would be nice to see Father Burke return). Frenchie's role is increased from the last film and actor Jonas Bloquet delivers a solid performance. Taissa Farmiga too delivers another great performance and the story expands on Sister Irene's visions in new and interesting ways. Sadly, we don't learn more about Valak though, we were hoping for a little more background information to be revealed.

There are a number of good sequences in film building up to an epic finale. The opening is great. There's three good scenes in the crumbling chapel, a great scene in a hallway and stairwell, and in an old French alleyway. Once the final sequence starts the movie puts the pedal to the metal and doesn't let up. It may be one of the most intense finales of any of the Conjuring films to date.

If there's a complaint about anything, it's that we wanted more Valak screen time, specifically Bonnie Aarons in full habit and makeup. A lot of Valak's actions occur through the person they're possessing so, while Valak is ever-present, we don't see much of her iconic visage. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the film leaves you wanting more. But the few times we do see Valak in all her nun-glory are quite effective and worthwhile. Also, the film's score didn't quite hit as well as the previous score by Abel Korzeniowski (Marco Belltrami does the score here and it doesn't quite deliver to the same level), nowhere near Joseph Bishara's scores either.

THE VERDICT

All in all, we had a great time with The Nun II. Valak still remains our favorite character to come out of the Conjuring franchise and maybe one of the best horror characters of the last twenty-five years. This film still manages to channel the Hammer Horror feel, utilizing an "old European world" esthetic with modern effects. There's a load of scary sequences adding up to a fun and memorable horror experience. We can't wait to see this one again and eventually add it to the home video collection!

Here's hoping this film will be successful enough to warrant a trilogy. If a third Nun film happens, count us in!

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10