The Nun II Movie Review

The Nun II (2023)

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Written by: Ian Goldberg & Richard Naing and Akela Cooper (screenplay by), Akela Cooper (story by), James Wan &
Gary Dauberman (based on characters created by)
Directed by: Michael Chaves
Starring: Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid
Rated: R
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Plot
In 1956 France, a priest is murdered as an evil spreads. The sequel follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun.

Verdict
It's a solid horror movie that does a great job at building a mood. This doesn't rely on cheap scares, and the story is more than competent. While it's the same antagonist as the first movie, how can you leave the title's namesake behind? Too many sequels try to change the premise, but this aims to improve the first and succeeds.
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Review
A sequel to 2018's The Nun and a spin off of The Conjuring 2, Irene (Taissa Farmiga) must battle the demon nun yet again.  

Irene is serving in Italy and her story from the first movie has become more myth than fact. She overhears a re-telling but the rumors disparage her though no one knows Irene is the woman in the story. Irene's plight is interwoven by scenes of fright in France where the demon lurks. If you guess Irene will be called to investigate, you'd be correct. She is called despite reservations. In this movie objections aren't an option. We already know where she's going.

Taissa Farmiga plays Irene

This does a great job with the tension. Scenes slowly build, drawing you in. While this is slow getting to the plot, it creates an uneasy mood. These scenes keep building, and you're waiting for that moment of shock. There's one scene with Irene at a news stand. The magazine pages flip in the wind. The sound and visuals increase the anticipation of a fright as the magazines create an image of the demon. It's a great scene.

Sister Debra (Storm Reid) accompanies Irene just so we have a b-plot to cut to so the pacing remains quick. I don't fault the movie for that, it's a proven method. The movie does fall back on convenient often. We know the demon is in France for a reason. Irene manages to figure that out quickly by solving an Indiana Jones style riddle. It's a clue that only Irene realizes is such and solving it is even easier than discovering it. Still, the story is good enough, and this even has a goat creature which I always appreciate in a horror movie, see The Witch.

Taissa Farmiga plays Irene

This is the rare sequel that improves upon the original, and the biggest difference is the way this builds tension and scares. It aims to create a mood, a pervasive feeling while the first movie relied too heavily on jump scares. I like the final confrontation as it manages to make it emotional from multiple angles. I was surprised at just how neat the resolution is, and that's due precisely to how this movie employed backstory. It's well done, and there's even an after credits scene just to tie this back to The Conjuring.