Corin Hardy’s most recent release, The Nun, follows the journey of a priest, Father Burke, with a haunted past and a Nun, Sister Irene, who hasn’t given her final vows to become a nun, who are sent to investigate a haunted abbey in Romania. These two characters are forced to confront the evil presence of the abbey after one of the local nuns is found dead outside of the abbey. With the help of a local townsman, Frenchie, the trio set out to end the evil presence
The Nun hit the box offices early September, and earned $53.5 million dollars opening weekend. Though it was a financial hit, movie critics and directors in the industry ripped it to pieces. It earned a 6/10 on IMDB and a 28% from the various approved Tomatometer Critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
The various jump scares throughout the movie. It doesn’t take a lot to make me jump, and the film itself had me clinging on for dear life throughout every scene. With the film implanting fear in every sequence and sensory detail, that’s all the movie itself relied on to make the audience get through the hour and a half film.
I did enjoy the film’s depiction of Romania during the early 1950’s. Whether it was going through the local farm villages that poured with livestock, or the forests overgrowing with vegetation, it definitely felt like the directors did their research of the time period.
Besides visiting the character’s backstories, there wasn’t a plot. It felt like the audience was just placed to watch the peak of the story. At the end of the film, I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters or emotionally affected by the ending.
Also, I felt like the Nun lost her fear factor towards the middle of the film. I was more scared of her while she had the black head gown covering her face rather than seeing her in full effect. Knowing what the movie character didn’t know was enough to give me goosebumps.
The film itself simply felt rushed, from the moment it began to the minute it ended. If the movie had another 30 minutes of runtime, it would be more than enough time to develop a fulfilling story that would leave the audience with an “awe” factor. Instead of walking out moved by the movie, I walked out somewhat disappointed and time I’d never get back. I would rate the film 2.5/5.