La religieuse II

The Nun II takes its time building the narrative and delving into character development. Unfortunately, the Christian relic's relevance and backstory, especially concerning Sister Irene, remain underexplored. While the film is well-crafted and directed, the resolution of the mystery and subsequent events feel somewhat rushed compared to the extensive setup.

Taissa Farmiga delivers a solid performance, but one craves more depth in her character beyond the initial portrayal. Jonas Bloquet's likable character arc from the previous installment is a highlight. However, Bonnie Aarons as the titular character lacks the expected menace and terror, except for a memorable encounter with Maurice's young friend, Sophie.

The Nun II boasts occasional atmospheric brilliance but falls short of consistently delivering in the vast Conjuring universe. Its low scare factor, uneven pacing, and reliance on horror cliches hold it back from reaching its full potential. While it somewhat redeems its predecessor, it still doesn't meet overall expectations.

Another let-down in the 'Conjuring' universe. Who would've guessed? Apparently, just having creepy looking villainous characters isn't enough to make a strong horror movie. 'The Nun' is a very creepy looking character, there's no doubt about that. But these films do not seem to know how to use her properly.

The funny thing in these films to me, is when it's a minor character in danger - instant death. But when it is a major character in the movie - seemingly all 'The Nun' wants to do it jump out and scare you over and over again. It just makes no sense and really deflates all of the tension out of the movie.

If you're a fan of jump-scares then there's good news. You're likely going to have a good time with this one. The movie is riddled with them. Some are well done, others not so much. The problem with horror movies based entirely around jump-scares is that they are instantly forgettable. Maybe you remember one jump scare if it was especially well done, but you certainly never remember the film as a whole.

And I think that's the biggest problem here. There was nothing new, or unique about this film. Nothing that I will still be thinking about a week (or even 24 hours) from now. Just another forgettable experience and $22 down the drain. 4.5/10.

Set four years after the first, the Vatican decides: "Valak's back, doing his Michael Myers-in-a-habit act. Who do we send?" A seasoned exorcist? Some old bearded guy wielding a crucifix the size of a lamppost? Nope. They dump the mission on a poor nun who should realistically be popping Prozac after her first trauma. But she accepts it like someone being offered a pilgrimage to Lourdes. Psychological coherence? About as solid as a soap opera plot.

Sure, filming in a gothic convent in the south of France sets the mood. Cold stones, candles, stained glass... it's basically Dark Souls: Catechism Edition. But a setting isn't enough. It's like dropping a Twingo engine into a Ferrari: shiny outside, useless under the hood.

The real problem? Fear. There isn't any. The jumpscares land with all the subtlety of a jackhammer. You wait for them like you wait for an Amazon delivery. Valak is supposed to embody dread, but here he's got the charisma of a supermarket security guard.

Why is Valak after some random relic? Mystery. Why do the boarders leave and come back like nothing happened? Mystery. Why doesn't the nun stop and say: "Guys, I nearly died last time, send someone else"? Mystery. The script isn't a movie, it's a Sunday homily written by a hungover priest.

Sequels are supposed to raise the stakes. Here, Valak looks like he lost his balls in a holy water font. No strategy, no tension, just random appearances. Even Freddy Krueger on sedatives would be scarier. The demon feels stuck in a summer camp job contract: show up, growl, vanish. Thanks, bye.

The Nun: The Curse of Saint Lucy is a mass without faith or law. No fear, no thrills, just pretty sets and a demon on autopilot. Michael Chaves manages to sign one of the worst entries in the entire Conjuring saga-which is almost impressive, given how low the bar already is. The only real curse? Realizing you wasted two hours and the price of a ticket.

So, I was actually quite looking forward to this one. I wasn't expecting much from the original since sequels, prequel's and spinoffs often times are not up to par with their predecessors. However, I was quite pleasantly surprised with the first Nun and still think that it is a wildly underrated horror. So, after viewing this one, I must say that I was pretty disappointed. It was not a bad film by any means, but it did not live up to the quality of the first one and really landed in a very mediocre place.

It had a quick start and didn't waste any time, throwing us into the action. Yet, even then, I stopped and thought "well, that could've been cooler ". This same sentiment persisted throughout the majority of the film. It gave us some fun and creepiness, but then proceeded to move at a snails pace for quite some time. It felt like we were about 45 minutes in until I got any semblance of a real story line or something particularly intriguing. It really felt like they were going through the motions, an outline for a horror movie. As if they were following a map with very similar chain of events as the original.

It is no secret that this franchise loves a jump scare. The first one was full of them, however, it was also balanced out by genuinely creepy and cool effects with a general effective spook factor. This one had a bit of that, but was mostly just riddled with cheap, unnecessary and superfluous jump scares. Even most of the kills, while still entertaining, were pretty basic. At the same time there were also some effective imagery especially in the third act, some gnarly effects, and some pretty awesome stunts that stuck out.

I think my biggest issue with this is that the first one felt very deliberate and purposeful in many ways. It felt planned out and detailed... whereas this one felt like it was thrown together with the very bare minimum they could get away with as far as storyline went. Again, not a bad film, but nowhere near the quality of the first one for me. Would recommend, but not vehemently.

(Also, what's up with all these fake reviews? Weird. Lol)

IG - howlingatthemoonreviews.

I think I need to shift my perspective on what The Nun movies are supposed to be. The Conjuring films are great, full of scares, great writing. Annabelle is also pretty freaky. The Nun... feels more like Indiana Jones or a Disneyworld ride. Made-for-amusement-park action, props, and themes. Each time I go in expecting to be freaked out by "the greatest evil in the Conjuring Universe" just to walk away feeling like I went through a haunted house at Six Flags. The Nun II was not scary, barely interesting, and quite honestly boring at times. Conjuring Universe I love you, but let's send the Nun back to hell for good.