Twigs - The Nun II
The Conjuring universe's best demon returns.
[Note: This review will discuss elements of The Nun 2 that were revealed in promotional material, such as trailers. If you’re someone who enjoys going into new movies knowing as little as possible, you may want to skip reading this review.]
Valak has always been my favorite demon in The Conjuring universe.
Making its debut in The Conjuring 2, Valak, also known as “the Nun,” has become a staple demonic entity in the franchise. The demon was first responsible for tormenting the Hodgson family in Enfield, England, as well as Lorraine Warren due to her encounter with the demon during a previous investigation. Valak made its mark on the shared film universe by being a horrific entity that had no trouble warding off crucifixes and holy water, establishing itself as one of the most powerful demons in the franchise. The demon returned in The Nun, a decent prequel film exploring its origins, but that ultimately left a lot to be desired. Which is why it made sense for the series to continue exploring Valak’s origin story with The Nun II.
Directed by Michael Chaves—whose feature film directorial work remains firmly planted in The Conjuring universe—The Nun II sees Taissa Farmiga’s Irene return, encountering Valak once more following Maurice’s possession at the end of The Nun. Due to the indirect nature of the promotional material for the film, I’m remiss to talk about spoilers for the movie. However, I do think giving a general overview of the plot is important to understanding my thoughts on the film. So, in summation: Valak is piloting Maurice, going around killing religious figures across Europe for unknown reasons. Because of her encounter with the demon before, Irene is tasked with trying to find out what’s going on. What follows is the most adventure-driven entry in The Conjuring franchise, and also one of the best ones in quite some time.
As mentioned before, Chaves is no stranger to The Conjuring universe. While I wasn’t too big on The Curse of La Llorona or The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, I think Chaves manages to improve upon everything he does with each new film he makes. The Nun II is no exception, and is perhaps the best film in this universe since Annabelle Comes Home (and is roughly the same quality as that film). While it never quite reaches the height of scares The Conjuring 2 and Annabelle: Creation manage to drum up, The Nun II has its own vision of what it wants to do and how it wants to tell its story. And it really worked. I should, of course, preface my more long-winded thoughts by saying that I am a huge fan of The Conjuring universe regardless of film quality. The Curse of La Llorona is the only dud in my book, and even then I enjoyed the first half hour immensely. These movies have always been a mix of fun, scary, and interesting tie-ins to me, and every single one has something redeeming about it.
What stood out to me the most in The Nun II was just how different its presentation was compared to The Nun, as well as Chaves’ other works in the franchise. This is a slow burn film that slowly amps up the creepy factor throughout the first half. It presents audiences with characters new and old, all played by talented actors that bring the haunting tragedy to life. Storm Reid’s Debra is a perfect foil for Irene, while Katelyn Rose Downey’s Sophie interacts with Maurice in ways that make his character more sympathetic. It entwines these new characters with the main conflict alongside familiar faces in creative, sometimes creepy ways, all of which add to the movie as a whole. I will say, the first and second half of this film are vastly different in terms of tone. There’s a more panicked adventure feel to the second half, though it never lets up on the scares. While Valak never goes full Conjuring 2 in terms of being a villain you love to hate, the demon has plenty of tricks up its sleeve you won’t see coming, no matter how much you prepare for them.
And that, I think, is truly what helps this film stand out as a strong horror film: The scares. While there were some cheap jumpscares, as happens in many a horror film, these are often followed by something genuinely terrifying happening. This seems to be a trend in The Conjuring series dating back to the first film, where a jumpscare will be used, but will then continue beyond the initial scare to create something horrifying or unsettling. Plenty of moments like this are present in The Nun II, resulting in scenes that will make you jump, but will then linger with a sense of uneasiness or dread. It’s done very well, and is perhaps the best use of effective jumpscares in modern horror.
The Nun II also has a multitude of story elements that not only connect to the wider Conjuring universe, but add some fundamental lore that may be important for the announced fourth and final film featuring the Warrens. I always love just how many branching paths this horror shared universe has, and to see so much consistency yet added lore throughout has always been a treat. This latest entry pursues connectivity wholesale, giving many attentive viewers plenty of information that furthers the overall franchise. It also seemingly hints at what to expect from The Conjuring universe moving forward, both closing a chapter and opening a new one in the process. It makes me excited to see what they’ll do next, and if the next film will be just as character-centric and scary as The Nun II.
Overall, I enjoyed watching The Nun II. While it’s not as good as previous entries in The Conjuring universe, it stands on its own as a fun, frightening slow burn with plenty of great characters and horrifying moments. The movie shows that, little by little, Chaves is improving as a horror director. While I’d love to see him branch out into making other types of horror movies to hone his craft outside this universe, I can’t deny that I want to see his talent in The Conjuring universe continue as well. The Nun II was a terrifying entry to this sprawling horror universe, and I can’t wait to see what the events of the film will mean for what comes next.
Or maybe I’m just biased because Valak is my favorite demon (in the movies, of course).
***
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