Reviewing involves a blend of subjective preferences and objective assessment of quantifiable characteristics. As a reviewer, one encounters diverse genres and products. The challenge with the horror genre mirrors that of comedy: eliciting universal laughter or fear is exceedingly difficult. The Nun falters significantly in the latter, inadvertently prompting amusement rather than terror.
The film’s premise involves unsettling events within a Romanian monastery. A nun, in apparent desperation, commits suicide. Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet) discovers the body, prompting Vatican intervention (note: Romania is predominantly Greek Orthodox, though Catholicism and Protestantism are also present). Given the Catholic Church’s stance on suicide, Father Burke (Demián Bichir) is dispatched to investigate, accompanied by Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga). Upon arrival, they should immediately recognize the extraordinary nature of their mission.
However, their reaction doesn’t reflect this. The film’s core issue lies here: a brief sequence provides genuine unease when the protagonists meet Frenchie, the individual who discovered and attended to the body. Upon entering the room, he exclaims, “I didn’t leave her like that!”, revealing the corpse in a terrifying seated position.
Surprisingly, the protagonists exhibit minimal reaction. This lack of appropriate response persists throughout the film’s concise 96-minute runtime, which feels considerably longer. The characters enter the deserted monastery, encountering a menacing, cloaked nun who grants them permission to stay with a sinister tone. One would anticipate immediate alarm, but the characters treat this as commonplace, dismissing each alarming event with a nonchalant, “There must be something going on…”.
An unintentionally comedic scene involves Father Burke being dragged into a grave and buried alive. Displaying remarkable composure, Burke rings the bell (a historical practice used to signal premature burial), prompting Sister Irene to investigate. Hearing the bell, she deduces it’s the “Father-Burke-is-buried-alive-bell”, rather than a more mundane explanation. The scenario is absurd.
Frankly, this film is exceptionally poor. The script is illogical, the direction is lacking, and genuine scares are virtually absent (with the possible exception of the aforementioned corpse scene). It is simply a poorly executed horror film. Despite pre-release buzz surrounding a purportedly terrifying YouTube trailer (which I did not see) that was supposedly removed, The Nun fails to deliver. It is profoundly disappointing.
The cast attempts to salvage the project with clichéd dialogue and nonsensical actions. The connection to The Conjuring (of which The Nun is a spin-off, introducing the character) offers a glimmer of redemption, but this is undermined by inconsistent actor replacements in close-up versus wide shots (specific actor details are omitted to avoid spoilers).
The UHD edition is underwhelming. Black levels are not as deep as expected, especially when compared to our reference-OLED Panasonic EZ950, and significant image crawling is present. Given the film’s consistent darkness, the visual presentation’s shortcomings are particularly noticeable in 4K. However, the Dolby Atmos soundtrack is commendable, featuring subtle nuances, immersive surround effects, and strong bass response, potentially the film’s strongest attribute.
While I appreciate supplemental material, Warner Bros homevideo’s inclusion of behind-the-scenes features on The Nun is bittersweet. Hearing the actors praise their “nuanced characters” is ironic, considering the final product.
The Nun represents a significant failure. The following exchange from the film encapsulates its overall quality:
Father Burke: The blood of Jesus Christ.
Frenchie: Holy Shit!
Father Burke: The holiest…
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