The Nun II (2023)

September 7, 2023 6:47 PM

[TRAILER] Four years after the incident in Romania, Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) investigates a series of unseemly deaths marking a path across Europe. Is the demon nun Valak (Bonnie Aarons) back? Spoiler: she is.

Also starring Storm Reid (The Last of Us), Anna Popplewell (The Chronicles of Narnia), Jonas Bloquet.

Directed by Michael Chaves.

56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Now playing in theaters. JustWatch.

posted by DirtyOldTown (4 comments total)

You know that typical rhythm of a pop horror franchise, where the first one is legit good, then the first sequel is enjoyable, has some big ideas, lets the returning characters stretch a bit, but is a bit all over the place and sort of overstays its welcome? So the first one is like 3.5/5 stars and the sequel is 2.5/5 stars? That's what this is... except, of course, the original was actually not legit good. So the net effect is, this is a serviceable sequel to a serviceable original.

This also has the exact opposite quality to act structure relationship as the first Nun, with the first two thirds being pretty, pretty good and the last third being a bit over long and unfocused. (For me, the original was about an hour of meandering foot dragging, followed by a compelling ending.)

It delivers jump scares in an efficient multiplex way though, so if that is a thing you can vibe on, this will do the job.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:50 PM on September 7, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best review I have seen:

Dude... Sister Act 3 is fucking WEIRD.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 5:38 AM on September 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

Man, I’m really chuckling at that review. Alternate titles - “Jump Scare Boarding School: Back In the Habit”

Or “The Hills Have Saint Lucy’s Eyes” (Why not call her Saint Lucia though? And what’s up with these young American nuns in postwar France?)

Overall it was kind of boring. There were a few standout scenes though. Evil altar boy Cedric’s ghost taking his mom out in the creepy chapel done fucked me up. The magazine rack with flipping pages was cool.

I’m a sucker for anything Conjuring-verse. I’m glad I stayed until the end of the very spookily-done credits… it’s The Warrens! I’ll never think of floral wallpapered hallways and not be kind of freaked out. Looks like the delicious Patrick Wilson had a bit of skin tightening up and hairline restoration work done, or was it CGI?

Kind of wild to me how the Vatican can still be construed in any cinematic universe as the good guys. Talk about suspension of disbelief!
posted by edithkeeler at 11:31 PM on September 12, 2023 [1 favorite]

I think it was better than the first, but I really disliked the first one. haha.

It's weighed down by too many characters. The magazine sequence was neat!
posted by graventy at 9:42 AM on October 10, 2023