The Nun

Another winner from producer James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring, Annabelle). This is a serious dark film that explores the origin of the nun, whose likeness we first see in Ed Lorraine's painting in The Conjuring 2. The Nun is set in 1950's Romania, twenty years earlier, with the main setting in a monastery. A priest and a young nun have been asked by the Vatican to investigate the grounds after an apparent suicide by a nun in order to determine whether the abbey still sits on holy ground.

Character Development: This movie is plot-based rather than character driven. Sister Irene, the young nun, is played by Taissa Farmiga (of the awesome comedy pledge to 80's horror The Final Girls). Her character is the epitome of humility as she assists Father Burke on this treacherous journey. The young man, Frenchie, who discovers the deceased nun, plays a part in their navigation and offers some comic relief in the midst of a dark and faith-challenging venture.

Pacing/Writing Quality: Well done. This a rare horror film that addresses the name Jesus Christ and His power.

Content (sex, language & violence): No sex. Minimal language. Lots of scary violence, though mostly dealing with sudden lunging and snatching, typical of horror films.

Spirituality: Unique to horror films, The Nun acknowledges Jesus Christ multiple times and uses His ultimate sacrifice in a spiritually compelling way that is quite amazing to see in Hollywood.

Scare Factor: 8/10 I did jump a couple of times, but the scares are more about situational context rather than outright jump fests. Other scary movies offer more frights, but the ones utilized here are of a different variety, so, they are unique in many ways; there is one scene reminiscent of Insidious.

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