“The Nun” Is Creepy Enough…Sometimes

“The Nun” is a horror movie, written by Gary Dauberman, that was just released and serves as a prequel to “The Conjuring” films that features Ed and Lorraine Warren, husband and wife paranormal investigators, who were played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.

This installment in that franchise takes place in the early 1950’s with Demian Bichir and Taissa Farmiga in the lead. A stoic, haunted priest and a novitiate, someone who is studying for the Convent, are sent by the Vatican to investigate the bizarre suicide of a nun in Romania. Jonas Bloquet plays the French-Canadian immigrant who discovers the body and ends up being their guide to the abbey that houses some strange forces.

I will start with the elements that I liked.  There were some truly effective and chilling visual effects at times.  I was surprised that I rather liked that I was not that familiar with the cast members. Their performances were believable enough for the most part. I did get startled and chilled at times, which is what I expect and want from a horror film. I enjoy the genre overall, so that’s what I pay for.  I rather liked Farmiga’s role of Sister Irene. She could be charming at times.  She did get frightened at times but also had moments of courage and steel when the moment called for it. Father Burke, the seasoned and weary priest tasked with investigating and verifying reports of possession, was also an interesting presence onscreen.  He was by no means a ray of sunshine, but he also was not a cruel man or someone who lost his faith in God. That would have been a bit cliché.

Bloquet plays the guide and sidekick with a bit of a plucky humor, who ends up being a surprisingly effective ally at times.  The main characters were people that I wanted to cheer on as they face the evils of the demonic nun.

The film falls short on being consistently scary though. There are moments that are a bit cliché and overused, but that is a common complaint I have in horror movies.

Although this movie does not hit anywhere close to cinematic greatness, it still could have gone much worse.  I had just enough of the heebie-jeebies to enjoy myself.