January Movie Pick: 'The Nun 2'

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I am surprised that I am even dedicating time to this movie, but it turned out to be good after all. I loved the transformation of the Nun demon; turning Valak into an entity reminiscent of IT (Stephen King) was a brilliant idea. Watching it pursue kids, priests, and others in various ways was very interesting. I kept expecting the movie to take a wrong turn and become a disappointing experience, but it never did.

While this may be perceived as just another generic demon movie from the Conjuring universe for most horror junkies, it never took that turn for me. The first Nun was a drag, and I watch it occasionally because it is immediately forgettable, which is a shame because I love the Conjurings and some of the Annabelles movies. Despite falling short of the first installment's box office success by grossing 268+ million worldwide, it is still a significant win. It seems people aren't tired of these types of movies; they are tired of uninspired garbage, which this movie certainly wasn't. It even had beautiful shots that I didn't expect, earning it the third spot on my list after the first two Conjuring movies.

The acting was solid, with Taissa Farmiga once again proving to be a great choice for the role of the young sister Irene. Storm Reid, whom I came to like in 'Missing' and a couple of other movies, was a nice addition to the franchise. I would love to see more of this duo in the next chapter. The actress playing the Nun gave another memorable performance. Although Nun 3 is not confirmed yet, given the success of the previous two movies, I am shocked that it's taking so long. The first Nun cost 22 million to make, and the second one cost 38 million. Both grossed more than half a billion dollars at the box office. The director Michael Chavez did an amazing job here.

It was a pleasant surprise, and I was hesitant for so long to press play due to the disappointment of the first movie. The depiction of Valak attacking people in various forms was unbelievably good. I am still thinking about the movie after two days, especially the shot where the wine barrels exploded with the demon in the middle, and wine spilled everywhere, reminiscent of the water bombs from 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'—one of the most beautiful shots I have ever seen. I think I am going to watch the movie again soon.

Some characters and storylines didn't impress me much, and the beginning had some ideas already explored in every demon movie (The self-rolling ball), but the movie delivered a solid entry into the Conjuring universe and got me excited for what is coming next. The visual effects on burning people were exceptionally well-done, making people on fire my new fascination.

Iliya Badev

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