Critics Have Seen The Nun II, And They Have Mixed Feelings About Taissa Farmiga’s Latest Offering To The Conjuring Universe

The new movie does have some struggles that extend directly from its place in the canon, as its timeline positioning as a prequel does have a negative impact on the stakes, but it finds success thanks to its strong main characters, a compelling mystery, and more than a few big time frights. It builds on the story that came before it, and while not delivering the most satisfying ending in the Conjuring Universe, it doesn’t leave a bad taste that spoils the ride.

Despite packing in a number of nifty scares and establishing a tone that overtly embraces its own absurdity, the film's inescapable connections to the overall franchise hinder its goals more than it helps. Ultimately, The Nun II doesn't come close to matching the highs of the mainline The Conjuring films. But neither does it succumb to the shortcomings that bedeviled its predecessor. Instead, this follow-up settles for something less ambitious — and somewhat less rewarding — as a result.

The Nun II – which I’ll remind you is a sequel to a prequel to a sequel – ends up being a rather delightful exercise for the franchise. It salvages the elements of The Nun that really worked, improves what didn’t, and puts its lovable lead characters through a series of creative tortures and torments that serve as a reminder that, as the franchise enters its 10th year, the Conjuringverse has plenty of frights left in it.

It’s definitely wanting on the scares front. The ghoulish trifecta of Bonnie Aarons’ white-faced wimple-wearer, a ghostly altar boy and a demonic goat add up to nary a shudder. And while the returning Taissa Farmiga does everything that can be expected of her as saintly Sister Irene, reluctantly pressed back into service when a string of suicides and immolations point to an evil reawakened, you can’t help sensing both she and Jonas Bloquet (also back as hunky handyman Maurice), are going through contractually obligated motions.

There’s nothing wrong with introducing irritatingly bland characters in a horror sequel, so long as they die. Unfortunately, the body count stays relatively low, with Valak’s standards for who gets murdered—and who just gets messed with—entirely inconsistent. Conjuring franchise veteran Michael Chaves can’t seem to decide if he’s making elevated horror, where you can get away with just scaring people, or exploitation cinema, where the kills are a big part of the appeal.