The Nun (2018)

At a time when new, truly terrifying blockbuster horror films can be few and far between a series that began in 2013 has stood out as a constant supply of reasonable scares for the masses. From The Conjuring to Annabelle, we have been given interlinked supernatural Horror films loosely based on real people. These films have been largely successful and followed despite their failure to wow critically. The most recent chapter has been the most anticipated with people impatiently waiting since The Conjuring 2 to finally lay eyes on The Nun. But does it equal or perhaps improve on the films that have come before it?

A convent in the depths of Romania is under investigation of supernatural evil after the mysterious and gruesome suicide of a Nun. For centuries the building has hidden a secret, a gateway to hell protected by those that reside there. But something has changed. A priest and an aspiring Nun set out to look into the goings on in the convent and to bring peace at last to a building steeped in mystery and death. The duo are not prepared for what they find as they begin to understand and ultimately come face to face with evil. Evil in the shape of a nun…

It’s true that the films within the Conjuring series are unexceptional. Relatively engaging plots with too many jump scares. But each film provides a level of entertainment that makes them the best that big budget horror movies have had to offer of late. So does The Nun match up to its predecessors? Yes. Does it go beyond that? Unfortunately not. True to the series there are too many scares that disappoint those of us looking for more than just a loud bang in a horror flick. The plot is predictable and provides no real depth of character, which is a shame as it gives lead actress and Horror princess Taissa Farmiga no chance to shine as she has done in previous works within the genre. What can be said for The Nun is that while it is nothing to shout about, it’s worth a watch. Something it does differently to the rest is inject drops of bizarre humour that lends the otherwise dull script some life. Humour within Horror is a tricky thing to master, but the oddly placed witticisms within this film undoubtedly save it from itself. No impressive techniques to imbed fear or produce screams, yet there are a select few of worthy frights that linger after the film ends, giving the argument that its done what it needs to do. Following the pattern The Nun is watchable to a point, but a suggestion would be to await the release on whatever streaming service has the rights to every film and binge the entire set. They do better together than individually.