The Nun II

REVIEW:

I know it’s not spooky season yet and I was originally going to wait until October to review The Nun II as it was the only movie in the Conjuring franchise I didn’t get round to last year. But with the release of The Conjuring: Last Rites, I felt inclined to tick this movie off the list so I can finally complete the series. Unlike the other entries I’ve reviewed, this was the only film in the saga I hadn’t seen before, every other one I caught at the cinema, but this time I had to make do with watching from home. That actually ended up being fitting, because even though this is a theatrically designed movie, its jump scare heavy approach feels almost like it was built for a Friday night watch with the lights off.

When reintroduced to Sister Irene, we find her moved on from the events of the first film, trying to suppress the horrors she endured. Yet while she keeps her role in those events secret, the story of Valak’s attempted terror is well known among the nuns around her. That silence creates an interesting tension, Irene feels burdened by knowledge no one else shares, even among those closest to her. It’s a subtle bit of character work that makes her more grounded than in the first Nun.

I was also surprised to see Maurice (Frenchie) back. My assumption was that the first Nun had tied up his storyline neatly with its bridge to The Conjuring 2 and the Warrens’ exorcism. Instead, this film shifts gears, placing him front and centre as the host for Valak’s possession, setting up the events we already know are coming. In a strange way, this prequel to a prequel approach actually works. Frenchie, played with surprising earnestness, becomes the emotional core of the film, and the way his possession escalates is one of the strongest narrative threads here.

Atmosphere wise, though, this sequel is lighter than its predecessor. Whereas the first leaned into gothic dread and oppressive darkness, The Nun II settles more comfortably into jump scares. Some land, there were moments that genuinely jolted me, but others you can see coming from a mile away. That’s not to say it’s ineffective, but Valak herself has lost some of the raw shock value she carried back when she first showed up in The Conjuring 2. It’s the downside of overexposure, what was once nightmare fuel now risks becoming familiar.

One gripe I had with The Nun also returns here, the reliance on religious relics as MacGuffins. In the first it was the vial of Christ’s blood, and here it’s the Eyes of Saint Lucy. I’ve always liked that the Conjuring films are loosely tethered to real case studies of Ed and Lorraine Warren, giving them at least a faint sense of grounded realism. The Nun spinoffs drift away from that into more fantastical relic hunting, which to me pulls something essential away from the experience. Even worse, the structure feels familiar, it’s essentially a retread of the first movie, just dressed in a slightly different package.

That said, I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom. The film noticeably improves in its second half, shifting from simple scares to a more action driven, thrilling ride. It may sound strange to praise a horror film for being more of an action piece, but it works in this case. The third act is tense, tightly paced, and builds to an energetic climax that redeems much of the slower first hour. If you stick with it, the payoff is worth the patience.

A real standout is the goat demon, a grotesque and symbolically rich manifestation that channels true religious horror imagery. Its design taps into something primal, something far scarier than Valak’s increasingly overused jump scares. If the franchise continues past The Conjuring 4, I would love to see this entity make a return. By contrast, Valak is actually one of the least frightening aspects of the film, with Maurice’s full blown possession being far creepier and far more effective at delivering chills.

But then there’s the continuity issue. The way this movie resolves itself, vanquishing Valak through the power of prayer, raises major questions. Is Maurice still possessed by the end? If not, why are the Warrens called in during the mid credit scene? It feels like the film almost creates a plot hole within its own carefully woven timeline. Still, The Nun II feels more polished than the original, with director Michael Chaves showing greater confidence behind the camera. Overall, I preferred this sequel to the first, though not for the reasons I expected. It’s less about terror and more about momentum, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.