THE NUN II

US, 2023, 110 minutes, Colour.

Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Blocquet, Storm Reid, Anna Popplewell, Bonnie Aarons, Katelyn Rose Downey.

Directed by Michael Chaves.

It is five years since the appearance of The Nun, part of the very successful horror franchise, The Conjuring, based on the real-life activities of exorcist couple, Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga who appear again in the final credits – and star,Taissa Farmiga, is Vera’s younger sister). Most of the comments on this sequel note that it is better than the original. The narrative here continues with the storyline as Well Is key characters from the original.

In fact, much of the narrative of The Nun II is very similar to that of the original (and this reviewer, noting the original review, found that much of it could be re-said here.)

Sister Irene, Taissa Farmiga, was commissioned in the first film to be an assistant exorcist with the priest, both sent by the Vatican to Romania, encountering diabolical presences, especially in the form of a sinister and frightening -looking nun. In Romania was a sympathetic gardener, Frenchy, who is also possessed by the Demon. That was set in 1952.

This film opens in 1956, and was filmed at an abandoned church in France, the setting here. Once again, the nun has appeared and a priest literally goes up in flames. In the meantime, there is a girls’ school nearby, a nice student with her mother a teacher, bullied by the girls, a severe headmistress. But there is a sympathetic gardener, Maurice – who, in fact, is Frenchy, come from Romania (with Belgian actor Jonas Blocket reprising his role), charming everyone.

Back home, Sister Irene listens to rather ghostly tales told with relish by some of the older nuns. She has a friend, Sister Debra, Storm Reid, whose parents have fled the American South with Debra finding herself placed in the convent. She has a sceptical attitude and would love to see a miracle. When a bishop sends sister Irene to France, reluctantly because she was so scarred by the experience in Romania, Debra accompanies her.

While there have been some scares and frights early in the film, the middle part is the Sisters travelling, assessing the situation, seeing what happens in the school.

However, for the last 30 minutes and more of the film, there is no lack of scares, frights, sinister behaviour, diabolical apparitions – and a reminder that Sister Irene feels she was responsible after Frenchy/Maurice had saved her in Romania, that the Demon had entered him (shown in flashbacks). So, he is re-possessed, pursuing the nuns, pursuing the young girl and her mother, terrorising the other students. There is also a monstrous goat. This is very much a female-oriented film, Maurice being the only significant male character. And Debra, who has also been terrorised, declares that she has seen some miracles.

As with the previous film, this is an imagination based on folkloric aspects of Catholicism rather than theology and ritual. Sister Irene, especially not in the 1950s, would not have been an immediate choice to go out on exorcisms. And her rituals, such as they are, are very basic, although she and Debra do say the words of consecration and barrels of wine come gushing out destructively – and they have mentioned that a relic used in previous exorcisms was a phial with the blood of Christ. This time, however, there are references to St Lucy, her being blinded, and, her eyes kept in a reliquary which certainly achieves exorcism success.

If an audience enjoys this kind of religious horror-exorcism film, there is plenty here.

1. The popularity of The Conjuring franchise, the background of exorcisms, the Warrens, based on real-life? And the further developments and imaginations? The original, The Nun?
2. The favourable commentary on the sequel? But the repetition of the major aspects of the plot? Of the Catholic folklore rather than theology?
3. The tradition of exorcism films, Catholic films, priests and exorcists, non-Catholic exorcism films, secular exorcism is, in other religions?
4. The continuity, Sister Irene and her role in exorcism in the first film, Romania, the encounter with Frenchy, with the priest, the Vatican commission? The effect of the exorcism on her? Four years later, in the convent, the community, the older nuns, telling horror stories in community, Debra, young, difficulties in the American South, her family moving, placing her in the convent, her smoking, scepticism, wanting a miracle, support from Irene?
5. France, 1956, four years after Romania? The opening, the priest, the boy in the sacristy, the issue of the wine, the ominous presence in the cellar, the appearance of the nun, the boy and his horror, the priest and going up in flames? The church not being used afterwards? But the boy in the town?
6. The girls’ school, Sophie, her mother, the bullying girls and their laughing, tormenting Sophie, locking her in the room? The experience of the image of the goat, the red light in its eye, her terror? Her mother, teaching in the school?
7. Frenchy, charming, the gardener, his bond with Sophie, Captain? His demands on the other girls? The bond with Sophie’s mother?
8. Irene, the visit of the carnival, the commission for her to go to France? Talking with Debra, Debra going with her, the travels? The arrival in the town, the problem of accommodation?
9. Irene, as exorcist, the experiences in the town, her talking with the young boy? Sophie, her mother? The support of Debra? The church, the sacristy? The belltower?
10. The encounter with Frenchy, the flashbacks to the past, his rescuing her in Romania, the serpent entering him, his being possessed? His bringing the demonic presence and the nun to France?
11. The episode with the headmistress, the story of her son, her severity, the mischievous girls putting the moths, wanting Maurice to remedy the room, the violence of her death? Her later menacing appearance?
12. The folklore for exorcism, a woman exorcist, the young nun, her prayers, the issue of the phial of the blood of Christ, the red eye of the goat and the torch and Sophie rescuing it, the dangers as the possessed Frenchy attacking her? The image of St Lucy, martyr, blind, patron of the blind, the symbolism of the reliquary with her eyes? The importance of these for the exorcism? Minimal prayer and blessings, Debra and Irene quoting words of consecration, the wind, image of the blood of Christ, its deluge effect?
13. The last half hour, scares, frights, horror, the girls being menaced, Sophie in the belltower and the fall, her mother and concern, Debra and the attack? The image of the goat, the monstrous goat, the chases, the corridors, the locked doors? The nun, the images on the walls, the reality, towering, menace?
14. Irene, the successful confrontation, Irene being set alight, Debra recovering her? The attack on Maurice, the exorcism, exhaling the demon, his recovery?
15. The impact on Irene, Debra and her saying she had witnessed a miracle after her early scepticism? The future at the school, Maurice, Sophie and her mother?