As a big fan of The Conjuring, parts 1 and 2, it makes me sad that the spinoff movies never quite live up to the main titles, and The Nun is just the latest example. Taissa Farmiga (interestingly, the sister of Vera Farmiga, one of the two main characters in the proper Conjuring series) plays a great, believable lead character, as do Demián Bichir and Jonas Bloquet. I'd also like to recognize Ingrid Bisu as a standout actress for a minor role. The cast is largely very good, even if almost every other character appears in only one scene. While most of the scares in the first half of the movie largely consist of done-to-death tropes (no pun intended), they fortunately saved their best for the second half, with a few truly unique and unsettling moments, especially at the climax. While said scares can be hit or miss, the visuals and imagery are consistently fantastic and creepy.
The biggest problem with the movie, unfortunately, is the plot. It's clear the actors did their best with what they were given, but the behind-the-scenes crew largely did not do them many favors. I don't know whether to blame the director, writers, or editors. Some camera cuts and story moments made no sense, some outdoor scenes were dark when I was sure it was supposed to be daytime, and many scenes just left me in utter confusion. One element in particular felt entirely out of place in a Conjuring movie, and would surely have been more at home with Indiana Jones. Two more revelations were completely shoehorned in, leaving me with my head in my hands - not with my mind blown as it should've been, but in disbelief that the writers would set them up so poorly. I can't help but feel like some of the script was rushed and/or edited on the fly, long after shooting had already begun.
Despite my complaints with the story, I can't honestly say I didn't enjoy The Nun. No, it's not near the quality of the primary two Conjuring movies. It's not quite up to the standards of Annabelle: Creation either, but at least it's far better than the first Annabelle. You could do a lot worse for an early fall horror movie.
The biggest problem with the movie, unfortunately, is the plot. It's clear the actors did their best with what they were given, but the behind-the-scenes crew largely did not do them many favors. I don't know whether to blame the director, writers, or editors. Some camera cuts and story moments made no sense, some outdoor scenes were dark when I was sure it was supposed to be daytime, and many scenes just left me in utter confusion. One element in particular felt entirely out of place in a Conjuring movie, and would surely have been more at home with Indiana Jones. Two more revelations were completely shoehorned in, leaving me with my head in my hands - not with my mind blown as it should've been, but in disbelief that the writers would set them up so poorly. I can't help but feel like some of the script was rushed and/or edited on the fly, long after shooting had already begun.
Despite my complaints with the story, I can't honestly say I didn't enjoy The Nun. No, it's not near the quality of the primary two Conjuring movies. It's not quite up to the standards of Annabelle: Creation either, but at least it's far better than the first Annabelle. You could do a lot worse for an early fall horror movie.