The Nun feels like half a movie, in the sense that so little actually happens in it, and in the sense that the plot and characters are so thin and thinly-written that it genuinely feels like it was hastily thrown-together to railroad everything towards the climax - we are left with an awkward first and second act, with only the third having a semblance of devellopment and narrative weight.
The titular nun stands around being spooky and menacing, but while Valak is a genuinely good monster design, the fact that we already know what it looks like lessens its effectiveness considerably, and we do not learn anything truly interesting about it or its origins either. It's a demon... with demonic origins... doing demonic things... for demonic reasons. Nothing surprising or that an audience member already somewhat versed in typical movie demonology couldn't have parsed for themselves. Trying to explain Valak feels like an attempt to explain a force of nature.
The characters are similarly shallow: some potentially interesting traits are sketched out in their introductory scenes, but the film doesn't really go anywhere with it - the only standout being Comic Relief Frenchie, but only because he feels like the only character who is, well, a character.
The movie isn't without its qualities, however: it is without a doubt sleekly made and competently acted, even if this directing and acting talent are spinning their wheels off the ground. The visuals are interesting and creative, and it is polite enough not to understand its welcome. I never found it particularly scary, as most of the jump scares can be seen coming from a mile away, but the atmosphere it works to create is suitably heavy and respectable. Some subtle moments of horror are there, but are outweighed by the gratuitous jump scares.
In short? Go see it if you want to enjoy your monthly fix of spooky visuals and jump scares, but don't expect much out of it.
Film A ghost train ride and nothing more
The Nun feels like half a movie, in the sense that so little actually happens in it, and in the sense that the plot and characters are so thin and thinly-written that it genuinely feels like it was hastily thrown-together to railroad everything towards the climax - we are left with an awkward first and second act, with only the third having a semblance of devellopment and narrative weight.
The titular nun stands around being spooky and menacing, but while Valak is a genuinely good monster design, the fact that we already know what it looks like lessens its effectiveness considerably, and we do not learn anything truly interesting about it or its origins either. It's a demon... with demonic origins... doing demonic things... for demonic reasons. Nothing surprising or that an audience member already somewhat versed in typical movie demonology couldn't have parsed for themselves. Trying to explain Valak feels like an attempt to explain a force of nature.
The characters are similarly shallow: some potentially interesting traits are sketched out in their introductory scenes, but the film doesn't really go anywhere with it - the only standout being Comic Relief Frenchie, but only because he feels like the only character who is, well, a character.
The movie isn't without its qualities, however: it is without a doubt sleekly made and competently acted, even if this directing and acting talent are spinning their wheels off the ground. The visuals are interesting and creative, and it is polite enough not to understand its welcome. I never found it particularly scary, as most of the jump scares can be seen coming from a mile away, but the atmosphere it works to create is suitably heavy and respectable. Some subtle moments of horror are there, but are outweighed by the gratuitous jump scares.
In short? Go see it if you want to enjoy your monthly fix of spooky visuals and jump scares, but don't expect much out of it.