A prequel to the ‘ Conjuring’ franchise, ‘The Nun’ features a Catholic priest and novice nun sent by the Vatican to investigate a mysterious suicide in 1952 Romania. However as they fig deeper into the circumstances leading to her death, they encounter ‘The Nun’, an evil entity which had been fended away by divine forces centuries ago but has been released again due to human folly. This supernatural form, which has been named Valak, desires to cross over to our realm to invade all that is pure and good.
Shrouded in Catholic imagery, ‘The Nun’ unfurls in an abandoned Abbey in Romania. The writers have also taken painstaking efforts to tie this film to the previous ‘The Conjuring’ series. Though the eerie looking nun in the predecessor had little screen time, she left such an impact on our minds that the team thought that she is worthy of a film of her own.
The unsettling atmosphere is the key element of ‘The Nun’. Evil at work in a place which is considered to be holy created a powerful impact. ‘The Nun’ capitalizes on this aspect. Plus dark avanues and interiors found in age old churches set off a spooky ambience, setting stage for the perfect background for a chilling tale.
Another strong factor which works in favour of the film is the disturbing background score. Garishly gruesome, it contributes to the horror which signals that danger is lurking nearby. However though these are strong points which might have made ‘The Nun’ a success, the story lacks originality and depth. It plays upon many techniques which have been tried and exhausted throughout the years in films of the same genre.
The lead characters are devoid of any personality beyond their mission at hand. Even though actors Demián Bichir and Taissa Farmiga try to play their roles convincingly, the logic of the tale lets them down badly.
Aimed at jolting the viewers throughout the screen time, director Corin Hardy overplays the presence of ‘The Nun’. However soon the onlookers lose their fear of the mysterious being, making its presence more bearable with each screen shot. Not only does it lacks the thrills but the thrills are also absent in this production.
Similar to most successful franchise films, ‘The Nun’ sets up a sequel. Judging by how the end product turned out, it might be time to lay this horror series to rest!
