In Praise Of: The Nun
The Nun (2018) dir. Corin Hardy
More often than not The Nun is considered a disappointing installment in a beloved horror franchise. As for myself, aside from this and Annabelle Comes Home, I neither hate nor love the Conjuring Universe movies. I find them to be well made, but average, and have never got much out of them. I also detest anything to do with the Warrens, fictional or otherwise, and thankfully their screen time is reserved for short portions of the opening and end of the movie.
What makes The Nun stand out to me is that it harkens back to the fun but cheesy Hammer Horror flicks which often focused on a central figure such as the Universal horror monsters like Dracula (1958), The Mummy (1959) and Frankenstein with The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) , with each of these followed by several sequels. The Nun also shares similarities in its style to later Hammer Horror movies of the 60s and 70s with their eerie atmosphere, slow moving stories, and fog filled gothic aesthetic as seen in films like The Gorgon (1964), Devil Rides Out (1968) and Dracula A.D. 1972.
Many of these Hammer movies dealt with the occult or some kind of evil force to produce a tale of good vs evil. Which is exactly what we get with The Nun. It’s a simple story that’s delivered in a tightly wrapped package of non-stop shock.
After a Nun commits suicide at a Romanian monastery, a priest — Father Burke (played by Demián Bichir) — with a paranormal past and a soon to be Nun — Sister Irene (played by Taissa Farmiga, sister of Vera Farmiga) are chosen by the Vatican to investigate the death. These characters, while not the most meticulously crafted, are written well enough and given quality performances to be likable and worthy of empathy.
Upon their arrival to Romania they are guided to the monastery by a handsome young Frenchman — aptly nicknamed “Frenchie” (Jonas Bloquet) and the one who, do to his job delivering goods to the monastery, discovered the Nun’s body. The three make it into the monastery without issue and greeted by a cloaked Mother Superior who informs them of the Nuns vow of silence taking place. Burke and Irene decide to spent the night and once settled in, the scares begin.
A key element to the movie is the setting. Whether the story intrigues you or not, the ghastly gothic and morbid appearance of the monastery is perfectly captured and sure to send a shiver down your spine. It’s a sinister place, surrounded by a cemetery and skeletal like trees, giving off the feeling that an evil’s escaped and has the monastery in its clutches, concealing it from civilization.
The inside is just as chilling with its dark hallways, doors leading to secret rooms, and figures lurking at every corner. The evil force present within uses its layout to its advantage and it slowly becomes a state of mind more than a setting.
The monastery isn’t the only thing with an unsettling appearance of course. The demonic Nun has become a widely recognizable face for horror fans — with her pale complexion streaked with bulging veins, sunken and piercing yellow eyes, and a black coated mouth that when opened reveals a set of shark like teeth ripe for soul sucking. Her presence is made all the more threatening by the unique look and stature of actress Bonnie Aarons, as well as what can only be described as Mongolian throat singing that’s added to the score every time she appears on screen. While some may find it to be a stupid or irritating addition, I believe it makes the already ominous demon even more terrifying as she slides out of the shadows and brings with her the sound of some sort of cursed choir.
In the end, The Nun doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nor does it try to. It can be cliche and corny, but that doesn’t automatically make it a bad movie. If anything it makes for the perfect popcorn flick with a particular personality that you can’t help but admire.
