The Nun II: Not Quite the Demonic Encore I Hoped For

Okay, so I just got back from The Nun II, and as a director-focused kind of viewer, I'm always interested in how different filmmakers tackle established universes. Unfortunately, I can't comment on the director's other work here since... well, it's unknown. But given that, the film felt...safe. Too safe, maybe? The first Nun had a certain schlocky charm, and this one felt like it was trying too hard to be respectable Conjuring-adjacent, even if it lacked that series' true scares. Taissa Farmiga is great as Sister Irene, I really buy her dedication, but even she couldn't elevate some of the weaker moments. The scene with the magazine pages flipping themselves was visually cool, I'll admit. And the whole bit with Maurice and his possession slowly creeping in was genuinely unsettling. But then there were other scares that felt… obvious? Predictable jump scares galore, which, fine, but I prefer something a little more elegant. It was missing the atmosphere that made the first one, despite its flaws, at least unique. Honestly, it felt like they dialed back the outright demonic craziness a bit, which arguably made it less fun! I wanted more Valak being truly terrifying, and instead, we got a lot of her lurking in shadows. Spoilers: The climax in the church, with the blood of Christ turning into wine to defeat Valak, felt…rushed? It felt like they just needed a way to wrap everything up neatly. Not the strongest ending by any means. Overall, it's fine. A decent enough entry into the Conjuring universe if you're a completist like me. But don't go in expecting something groundbreaking. I'm still hoping for that one Conjuring spin-off that genuinely blows me away, but The Nun II sadly isn't it. Eh, maybe the next one will be better!