“The first “Nun” movie, released in 2018, scored the highest opening of a movie in the “Conjuring” universe with $53.8 million, and it’s the series’ highest-grossing worldwide with $365.5 million at the box office. “The Nun II” marks the first “Conjuring” movie released after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Devil Made Me Do It,” simultaneously launched on HBO Max and in theaters. As the series’ titular nun, Valka is the core of the film’s horrific efforts. And yet “The Nun II” performs accidental exposure therapy, showing their monster at absolutely every turn, almost immediately desensitizing us to her presence.
There’s a reason bogeymen and ghosts are feared in the shadows; their mystery breeds fear. Valka (played again by Bonnie Aarons) is spotlighted at every turn, from traditional hero shots to terrible CGI renditions that occur with fatiguing frequency.
She becomes an expected visitation rather than an intentional thrill, and what is meant to startle only provokes a sigh. You may also check The Chicks’ Calgary Comeback.
There’s an overall lack of thoughtfulness in “The Nun II” regarding scares, and Chaves is vehemently loyal to oversaturated tropes. The movie starkly neglects creativity and, in turn, lacks effective fear.
With constant slow pans and loud bangs, Chaves’ film signals its viewers at every turn, telling us to be scared rather than inspiring it organically. It reads more as a series of vignettes following a strict quota on scares, with narrative dexterity low on the priority list.
Nia Vardalos, who has written the franchise, finally takes over here as director. Pic is expected to open to the mid-to-high single digits. The sequel arrived 14 years after the original and managed to open to $17.8M and final at $59.6M domestic. You should also read Hot New Mediterranean Menu Inspired.
“The Nun II” is just not built with the acuity or surprise level conducive to a successful horror film. It floods its runtime with an oversaturation of every trick in the book. While returning performers Farmiga and Bloquet give what they can, their emotional efforts are betrayed by a wholly underwhelming script.
