The Nun (2018) - USA
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)
One of the delights of the latest “Conjuring” spinoff - “The Nun” is more in the creepy setting of a remote gothic style Romanian castle than the jumping “Nuns” scaring the hell out of you. Despite the thin story, director Corin Hardy crafted the tense and thrilling scenes quite well and maintained the horror and suspenseful mood for most of the duration. Some of the most scary scenes remains the investigative priest played by Demian Bichir being chased to cemetery and buried alive. The opening scene of shock and horror that led to the suicide of the Nun and thus the purpose of the investigation sets the tone in style.
Taissa Farmiga stars as the young apprentice nun chosen as part of the team to investigate whether the ancient Romania nun castle remains “holy”. She have both the sense of innocence and yet onscreen charisma that allows the audience to connect with her. Teaming up with Bichir, is the high ranking investigative priest who does a great job in balancing calmness and pure shock in required scenes. Jonas Bloquet provides the film comic timing and makes a nice entrance with several hilarious shot gun scenes. Bonnie Aarons who plays the Nun is suitably scary and her deadpan terrifying look provides a memorable aftermath.
All in all, “The Nun” is by no means a masterpiece and even feels quite empty by the end of the film, but it is suitably entertaining, helped by the mood create throughout and even scary and engaging in crucial scenes. It is the kind of film that makes a nice horror experience at be cinema. Sometimes, we need cheese and “The Nun” will keep jumping behind and in front of you till you get used to it.
I rated it 7/10