I still think that James Wan and “The Conjuring” universe still has a great villain in the demonic nun Valak, and “The Nun II” is on the right track to fully realizing her potential. Despite still being sorely under utilized, “The Nun II” still crosses the finish as a solid horror thriller with some great mystery and some surefire scary images that should earn its place in the gamut of “The Conjuring” movie series. I also quite enjoy how the movie just has a better grasp on its tone, allowing for a movie that’s definitely scary, and not too concerned with its dramatic tone.
In 1956 France, five years after its temporary defeat at the Abbey of Saint Carta at the hands of Sister Irene, The Demon Nun Valak re-emerges after causing the horrible death of a local priest. Having escaped the Abbey within Frenchie’s soul, Valak’s now wreaking havoc across Europe and putting the young students of a French boarding school in jeopardy. Sister Irene is deployed to fight the demon again, and their battle reveals some pretty interesting details about Irene’s back story which pull into focus how Valak has chosen its targets.
“The Nun” was a slog, while “The Nun II” amps up the pacing and the looming terror of Valak lurking in every corner. What’s more is you can sense the producers working over time to correct course from the original film. “The Nun II” doesn’t just offer up a creepy mystery and jolts, but it also adds a lot more substance to the character of Sister Irene. Here she’s no longer just a hapless nun pulled in to the web of Valak, but she’s someone who is intent on pursuing Valak to find out what she’s seeking out. Again, despite not being as utilized as she could and should be, Valak has a purpose here offering up an interesting maguffin for the villain and the film’s protagonists.
The stakes feel high enough to where they’ll not only affect the welfare of the character, but will also impact future films. The way the writer exemplifies this example is quite clever, especially in how they finally make sense of Taissa Farmiga’s casting. What I also enjoyed was the introduction of Sister Debra, Sister Irene’s partner in the mystery. As always Storm Reid is just great in the role and she’s given considerably meaty screen time, allowing her to flourish as a new hero in the fight against evil. Taissa Farmiga is also stellar as the heroic Sister Irene, whose whole persona changes since the first film, and now is more emboldened in her faith and courage to take down Valak.
“The Nun II” is a film that builds on the suspense and terror, ultimately coming full circle in the climax with all sorts of twists including a creepy chase, an unnerving possession, and of course Bonnie Aarons. Aarons is just great as the demonic Valak, and I wish we got more screen time in her flesh. This is ultimately hinders “The Nun II” preventing it from excelling as a top tier sequel. In spite of that, I loved the mystery, I enjoyed how the parallel story arcs ultimately came together, and I am interested to see how Valak re-emerges in the future.