By Brett Blake Although it breaks no new ground (and, indeed, may feel too familiar for some), THE NUN provides some solid atmosphere and a handful of good scares. The plot is wafer-thin, offering only the most minimal of setups (a priest and a young novitiate are sent by the Vatican to investigate the suicide of a nun at a remote Romanian abbey) required to justify the paranormal and demonic shenanigans which follow. The titular Nun character (really a demon named Valak taking the form of a nun) made her debut in THE CONJURING 2, where she was just one element of a larger haunted tapestry, but she was the clear standout, being visually striking and acting as a perversion of religious symbolism in a way that was quite effective. It makes sense, then, that this character would be spun-off into her own film, much as the Annabelle doll from the opening sequence of the first CONJURING movie has gotten its own spin-offs. Billed as “The Darkest Chapter of the CONJURING Universe,” the film is clearly trying to both lean into the (relative) goodwill that these movies had generated thus far, while also blaze a bit of its own trail. On that second point, THE NUN does offer up a sense of style and mood that is distinctly its own, given that its setting -- the “old world” of Romania -- and central hook are fresh elements. In terms of the narrative, however, the movie is almost entirely old hat, presenting us with thinly-drawn characters (though well-performed in the case of our two leads, Demián Bichir and Taissa Farmiga) in predictable scenarios. This is a particularly big stumbling block in the third act, which has a bit too much repetitive lurking in corridors and not enough plot investment, and which culminates in a finale with an unnecessary abundance of CGI tomfoolery. That said, from an aesthetic perspective, the movie is quite handsome to look at, and director Corin Hardy does find a way to bring a bit of a unique flavor to the movie. Whereas the first two CONJURING movies are heavily influenced by the horror cinema of the 1970s, THE NUN borrows a bit from the gothic, fog-shrouded efforts of the Hammer Films (particularly of the 1960s), and there’s also a dash of Roger Corman’s Poe adaptations from the same era, too. There are stylish elements here, and the locale (a very classic horror yarn staple) is captured with a suitably ominous, foreboding quality, which does lend the proceedings a certain amount of dread. The production design plays up both the eastern European and religious/Catholic iconography in ways that, while not terribly surprising or fresh, are appropriate and effective. So ultimately, THE NUN is a little bit of a misfire, as it lacks the personality and compelling characters of the CONJURING films, while also dropping the ball when it comes to telling an intriguing tale which snares the audience in its grasp. Still, the atmosphere is on point, it’s well-made on a technical level, and there are a handful of quality spooky moments. It’s not a bad movie, just an unremarkable one.
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