Archive for Spoiler Free Review of The Nun

Spoiler Free Review: The Nun

Posted in Movie Review with tags , , , on September 8, 2018 by boccobsblog

The-Nun-Poster

According to The Nun Movie Official Site:

New Line Cinema’s horror thriller “The Nun” explores another dark corner of the “Conjuring” universe, whose record-setting films have terrified audiences around the globe.

The new fright-fest, directed by Corin Hardy (“The Hallow”) and produced by James Wan, and Peter Safran, the latter of whom has produced all the films in “The Conjuring” franchise, delves into the shocking origin of the demonic Nun Valak, who first made her evil presence known in “The Conjuring 2.”

When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together they uncover the order’s unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of the same demonic nun that first terrorized audiences in “The Conjuring 2,” as the abbey becomes a horrific battleground between the living and the damned.

“The Nun” stars Oscar nominated Demian Bichir (“A Better Life”) as Father Burke, Taissa Farmiga (TV’s “American Horror Story”) as Sister Irene, and Jonas Bloquet (“Elle”) as local villager Frenchie.

The cast also includes Charlotte Hope (TV’s “Game of Thrones”) as the abbey’s Sister Victoria, Ingrid Bisu (“Toni Erdmann”) as Sister Oana, and Bonnie Aarons, reprising her “Conjuring 2” role as the title character.

Hardy directs “The Nun” from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman (“IT”), story by James Wan & Gary Dauberman. Richard Brener, Walter Hamada, Dave Neustadter, Gary Dauberman, Michael Clear and Todd Williams are the executive producers.

Joining Hardy behind the scenes are director of photography Maxime Alexandre (“The Voices,” “Annabelle: Creation”), production designer Jennifer Spence (“Annabelle: Creation,” “Lights Out,” the “Insidious” films), editors Michel Aller (“Lights Out,” “Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension”) and Ken Blackwell (“Ouija” “Friday the 13th”), and costume designer Sharon Gilham (TV’s “Black Mirror”). The music is by Abel Korzeniowski (“Nocturnal Animals”).

New Line Cinema presents an Atomic Monster / Safran Company production, “The Nun.” Opening in theaters on September 7, 2018, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

This film has been rated R for terror, violence, and disturbing/bloody images.

In B3 fashion, here is the good, the badass, and the ugly regarding The Nun.

The Good

  • The cinematography is good, not great. Standard shots, no risks taken.
  • Abel Korzeniowski’s score was fitting and enjoyable and added to the dark atmosphere.
  • The acting by the three main characters was decent. Taissa Farmiga makes a believable young novitiate and manages to seem both flirty and naive as well as fragile and strong in equal parts. Demian Bichir is believable as a gruff priest and war veteran. Finally, I found myself liking Jonas Bloquet as Frenchie, who does a good job in spite of subpar lines and a total lack of backstory.

The Badass

  • Frenchie screaming, “I’m French Canadian!”
  • The sets are creepy and well-crafted.
  • There are a few location shots at Corvin Castle are stunning.
  • The film is full of creepy imagery and jump-worthy moments.

The Ugly

  • The Warrens are well-documented frauds, and it is a shame these projects are tied to them.
  • Frenchie screaming, “I’m French Canadian!”
  • The entire movie is very light on plot. The writers attempted to give a backstory to the haunted castle, but the scene is less than two minutes in length and remains largely undeveloped.
  • We are given no explanation of why Frenchie is in Romania.
  • The first few moments of the movie are a choppy and hamfisted attempt to tie it to the earlier Conjuring series. The same holds true for the last moments  of the movie. In all, the Conjuring content of the movie is less than two minutes total.

The Nun was an enjoyable excuse to eat popcorn, but a fractured, barely existent plot keeps it from being a good movie. The Nun currently has a 29% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Conjuring Series is Available on BluRay:

The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Annabelle (2014)
Annabelle: Creation (2016)

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