Seems the demon Valak wasn’t defeated and sent back to the bowels of Hell in the first movie, darn, don’t you hate it when that happens. Our favourite Demonic Nun is causing mayhem through Europe, and a rising body count, for purposes unknown. Naturally the Vatican isn’t going to allow this to go unanswered, and naturally call in super Nun Irene to track down the evil one and work out what it wants. Who you going to call as the Vatican, some chick, as happens day in day out in the Church. Frack me, welcome to writers who can’t be arsed to do the less bit of research. Anyways turns out Father Burke died sometime between the movies, and the church has no other Priests who investigate paranormal activities, so it’s Irene and her teenage black side kick Debra to the rescue. If you have seen the first movie, you know what to expect, demonic mayhem, a relic that will resolve the situation and a bunch of characters that no one really cares about. Let’s go and check out the movie, though it’s Nun too different to be honest.

There’s a feeling of having seen the events in this movie previously, oh that’s right the same events pretty much happened in the first movie. So settle in for jump scares, dark interiors being used rather than atmosphere and a feeling that this movie is a by the numbers entry in the Conjuring Universe, whose only purpose is separating the punters from their hard earns. Sure as a standalone teens and the dating crew will probably be entertained, sub-teens aren’t going to be watching right, yeah whatever, for anyone else we are not seeing anything new and are left marvelling at the ability of film makers to take a one idea script and spread it out over multiple movies. Sign of the times, or the more things change the more things stay the same. We have had this rinse and repeat attitude to horror since the 1980s, and I guess we the punters are to blame for the studios and indies getting away with this shite. I look forward to The Nun in Space, you know it’s going to happen in a couple of movies or so.

Lead Taissa Farmiga is returning from the first movie, and here proves she deserves her role in a well delivered performance that had me believing. If for the moment, we forget the Catholic church isn’t exactly promoting the sisterhood in any shape or form. We also get Maurice back from the first movie, because remember he was possessed by Valak in that movie, and Valak needs a body to go forth and create Hell on Earth, or whatever the end goal of the Demon is. Never actually spelt out, but what the hey, when do modern movies bother filling in the blanks.

So how are the scare tactics I hear you ask. Fair to middling to be honest, for sure they are not pushing out the boat, but there are some cool effects going down to give the movie its due. Firstly, darkness is almost overpowering in the movie, we have individuals or small groups moving into a darkened rooms, and naturally Valak is going to get them, this actually gets boring after a while as the viewer knows exactly what is coming next. If you have ever watched a slasher then you pretty much know what the on screen deaths are about, the makers of this movie no one really asked for go for gnarly deaths, that sort of fit the plot, but which seem included to have a body count.

The major location for the movie is a girl’s boarding school, hold onto your linen this should have things rocking. Absolutely not, no teen chick was hurt in the making of the movie or for that matter on screen. Yes, the body count is waiting to happen, but heaven forbid the makers of this pot boiler would be going for the throat. For a while I was thinking we might get some girl carnage, the signs were certainly there, but nope nothing is going to push this flick to an older audience rating. You getting the point here, things are being played for safe, which doesn’t do wonders for the movie or for raising tension amongst the audience.

What we do get that works like a one armed wallpaper hanger is the design of Valak. That Nun has been creepy since they were first introduced in The Conjuring 2, and has not lost the cold fingers down the spine since. There’s something simply iconic about the character, even if you don’t like the movies and there are a lot of folk who don’t, you have to agree the Nun from hell has entered the horror fandom zeitgeist. We also get a possessed Dude, and a demonic goat like CGI character that appears as the script requires.

Naturally they can’t leave well enough and have to have a scene of those snake oil salespeople the Warrens at the end. As expected this is completely tacked on, is out of place, and no one was remotely interested. For the record, when the Catholic church are thinking about who they are going to call, Ed and Lorraine Warren’s name were not on the list; yet another fabrication to give some bizarre authenticity to a couple of con people that the Conjuring Universe has fallen for hook, line, and sinker.