Just because you're in a dark room doesn’t mean it’s scary.
The Nun Film Review.

Plot:
After being introduced into the Conjuring Universe Valak in the form of a Nun takes the screen once again. Set in the 1950s as a prequel to the whole Conjuring Universe “The Nun” takes you into the world of Gothic Romania. In this film we follow a Priest and a Nun try as they try to figure out why the Abbey hasn’t been in contact with the Vatican since the death of one of their Convent. From there the investigation turns dark both literally and figuratively. Almost ¾ of this movie takes place at night or in a dark space but this film ,while not all that scary, amps up the suspense and unsettling imagery.
Characters
This film features only 3 characters primarily. It comes as kind of a shock since most films in this franchise focus on family. However, this time around the narrative is focused on 2 people. The first being Demian Bichir as Father Burke. He plays the stereotypical priest with a past but his role is very two-dimensional. Sadly, because not only has this plot been seen before in movies but also used as a plot device for Lorraine Warren in the first Conjuring movie. While his secret past doesn’t affect him as deeply the story is rendered useless by the film’s end. This is a shame because Bichir is a great actor and very believable in this role. By the Father’s side is Sister Irene played by Taissa Farmiga. It is frequently harped on throughout the film that Taissa’s character is not a full Nun yet. This leaves her character arc being the one who needs to grow and find them-self. This plot line plays well with the overall theme of “The Nun” since it is in fact a film about finding out who the Nun is or was before being seen in The Conjuring. Finally there is Frenchie played by Jonas Bloquet. His character is the fun loving adventurer. Sadly, he is very underutilized and is only present for a small portion of the film.
Trailer
For once a horror movie has kept some good scares and plot points under wraps. Genuinely even The Conjuring (one) didn’t scare me because the trailer gave away every scary scene. The trailer does tell you exactly what to expect from this movie though, which is just jump scares. There is nothing in this movie truly frightening or scary just some tense moments and a lot of jump scares.
Overall
In the end I was disappointed by The Nun. It wasn’t scary and the story felt useless. What truly saved this film for me was the character’s chemistry and the crazy events that took place in the third act. Aside from that this movie was over hyped and failed to hold the promise of “The Darkest Chapter” . Unless meaning literally the absence of light in the film. If you are a fan of the Conjuring movies the ranks next to Annabelle 1. Not too scary but it has its shining moments like the basement scene in the first Annabelle. The reasons to see this movie is either for the last 30 minutes, the cinematography or, if you are a fan of any of the three actors. Only then is this movie maybe worth a matinee’ otherwise I’d say see it when it’s out for sale.
