The Conjuring is one of the most popular horror franchises and The Nun is one of the scariest installments. Gary Dauberman, who wrote the upcoming Salem's Lot and several Annabelle movies, wrote the screenplay from a story that he came up with alongside James Wan. The Nun isn't the most beloved film in the franchise, but anyone searching for a story with a creepy atmosphere will be pleased.
While not everyone loves The Nun and thinks that it measures up to the rest of The Conjuring films, it's worth noting that the movie is particularly terrifying because of the demon Valak. It's hard not to jump whenever Valak comes up behind a character or is clearly hiding in the dark. What happens during The Nun and how does the movie conclude?
What Is The Nun About?
The Nun horror movie is a prequel to The Conjuring 2, which was released in 2016. The Nun follows nuns living at Saint Cartha's monastery in Romania in 1952. The main character is Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga), who comes across the terrifying horror movie demon Valak. It's possible to compare The Nun to other horror films about religion as for the first little while, nothing of note really happens but the atmosphere is dark and unsettling. It's clear that some characters believe in a sinister, supernatural presence and others don't think that this is possible. This is typical of these types of movies.
The plot of The Nun isn't the most fascinating, and some horror fans consider some of this film to be pretty dull. However, while it might take a while to get to the heart of the story, The Nun's ending does feature Valak in all his horrifying glory. And it's worth watching to get to that point. There is definitely an art to a good jump scare and The Conjuring movies are known for having some memorable ones. There is no doubt that Valak is incredibly effective at scaring both The Nun's main characters and audiences alike.
The Nun is very well-known and might not be considered an underrated religious horror movie. However, it does delve into similar themes as other movies. And watching Sister Irene grapple with whether to lean into the supernatural presence around her or hold onto her faith is a compelling struggle.
Is There A Sequel To The Nun?
There will be a sequel to The Nun and The Nun 2 will be released on September 8th, 2023. The Nun 2 began filming in 2022 and will feature Taissa Farmiga as Sister Irene. Other actors rounding out the cast include Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons, Katelyn Rose Downey, Anna Popplewell, and Storm Reid.
The Nun 2 will start four years in the future as Sister Irene battles Valak again. Taissa Farmiga is a talented actor and while not a recurring player on American Horror Story, her turn in season 1 is memorable and strong. Farmiga ensures that Sister Irene is compassionate while also being genuinely scared of what's happening around her. And it will be interesting to see whether she can beat Valak once and for all in The Nun 2. It will also be great to see Storm Reid, who recently starred in The Last Of Us, appear in The Nun 2. No information is available for her character at this time.
How Does The Nun End?
The Nun ending is as intense and action-packed as the ending of The Conjuring. Valek takes over Sister Irene, proving why The Nun is one of the best horror movies about demonic possession. Frenchie stops Valak from getting close by putting Christ's blood right on her face, which gives Irene the idea to put the blood on Valek's face. This stops Valak from continuing to inhabit Irene's body. Because Valak appears in The Conjuring 2, the ending of The Nun answers some important questions about this mysterious horror movie villain.
Audiences learn that Valak took over a man named Maurice. The Nun then shifts timelines and now two decades have passed. A new character attends a class with Lorraine and Ed Warren talking about how they tried to rid Maurice of Valak. The character Carolyn Perron learns that Maurice showed Lorraine that Ed would be killed. This leads directly into The Conjuring, which is about the Warrens looking into a farmhouse and all the evil things that are taking place there.
While The Nun isn't the best movie in The Conjuring horror franchise, it does offer some necessary backstory about the demon at the heart of these popular films. It's also a fun movie to check out thanks to Taissa Farmiga's strong performance. It's clear that Valak is not to be messed with and that there is a lot of staying power in this horror franchise.