The Nun (2018) Movie Review: These Could Become a Habit

The Nun, directed by Corin Hardy, is a spin-off from the Conjuring Universe of films which also include the Annabelle series. Unlike most of the other movies in the franchise, The Nun is a true gothic-horror story taking place in a spooky abbey in Romania. The abbey is hard to travel to and surrounded by crosses meant to keep the evil inside instead of outside. In 1952, two nuns in the abbey encounter the Demon Nun (Bonnie Aarons), the embodiment of Valak, a demon. Valak is one of the scariest creatures in the Conjuring franchise almost entirely because of the unique facial features and deeply piercing eyes of Bonnie Aarons. She is already well on her way to being a horror icon. After encountering Valak, one of the two nuns is dragged deep into the catacombs while the other hangs herself, a mortal sin.

The Catholic Church sends a priest and a novitiate to investigate. Father Burke (Damian Bichir) is the priest whose skills make him the first person the Catholic Church calls when there are odd goings on. He is an investigator who has seen many strange occurrences during his many years with the Church. Also, surprisingly, is a young novitiate, Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga – younger sister to Vera Farmiga, who stars in several Conjuring Universe films), who has had visions all her life and is meant to assist Father Burke. Rounding out the cast is Jonas Bloquet as Frenchie (He’s originally from France!), the local villager who supplies the abbey with food and who discovered the hanged nun.

When they arrive at the abbey, the Abbess (Gabrielle Downey) tells them that the nuns take a vow of silence all night and to either come back in the morning or spend the night in the nuns’ quarters. Frenchie is uninterested in spending the night in the abbey and has a horrific adventure on his way back to town. Father Burke and Irene spend the night which ends with Burke being buried alive in the decidedly creepy abbey cemetery. Luckily, Irene is available to save the day. The claustrophobia induced by being buried alive is very well portrayed, with Father Burke barely keeping his sanity. It is one of about five different terrifying set pieces; the rest of which take place within the cavernous, yet somehow mazelike, abbey.

The acting, the writing, and the direction in The Nun all come together here to create a great new horror series. The Conjuring movies are already top-notch (mostly), but the addition of Valak, and the addition of Bonnie Aarons portraying the Demon Nun are strokes of genius that lead to many chilling moments throughout. If you are not bothered by demonic imagery, The Nun is for you.