Film Review: The Nun (2018) - The Exorcist+Salem's Lot+The Ju-On+Dracula+Boogey Man=The Nun
Updated: Aug 4, 2021
The producer of The Conjuring franchise (2013-2018; total 5 films), James Wan who is well known for SAW franchise (2004-2017; total 8 films). It is no doubt that the best horror filmmaker in the present film industries.
You can find the image of The Nun 《鬼修女》is extremely similar to Mr. Barlow in The Salem's Lot (1979). The Nun is undoubted that it imitated Mr. Barlow's monster image.
Valak / The Nun's image is something familiar for mature horror fans.
Conjuring Mr. Barlow from Salem's Lot (1979)
However, this film overly used jump scary tricks throughout the entire film with heavy sound effects which cause head ache among audiences.
Moreover, the script logic is problematic that when Father Burke and Sister Irene investigate the Romanian ancient Cârța Monastery, the first encounter with the Abbess and easy acceptance of stay at the attached convent is too careless, and unusual when Frenchie who was a food supplier to the nuns said the place has been cursed and nobody comes to the territory.
Its plotting sloppiness itself is a miracle to link illogically gathered pieces of sequences that follow.
Especially Father Burke and Sister Irene blindly believe and treat the dead nuns as live people is another miraculous narrative fabrication.
Audience is hard to be persuaded in this logical failure.
Besides these, other fatal logical failure is that additional inserted episode of failed exorcism on Daniel, by this episode, the director Corin Hardy tried to make comparison and linkage with Father Lankester Merrin of The Exorcist (1973), or Father Morning of The Exorcist III (1990).
On the contrary, the exorcism of Valak / The Nun is unexpectedly not fully engaged between Father Burke and Valak / The Nun.
Father Burke 's exorcism against Valak / The Nun is not exciting like the master piece.
Father Lankester Merrin of The Exorcist (1973)'s exorcism scenes made this film a master piece, a classic.
For jumping scare, this trick is from The Ju-On (2004: US). And it's heavily used to scare audiences cheaply.
This is directorial sin in this film. However, you have to mention that there are truly scary spooky atmosphere, well-crafted Gothic art solutions, acting is also realistic, no sloppy acting.
Furthermore, Dracula-like story setting in Romania with minimal characters involved is something cinematic and make audience to expect horrific Gothic horror taste of this film.
The true horror film principle is described by Christopher Lee, 'Don't show a monster too many times. It should be kept in minimal. True horror is that something makes you scared of opening the door psychologically, e.g. The Haunting (1963).
Sean S. Cunningum also mentioned the minimalist theory of horror filmmaking. Moreover, he referred to the solution of JAWS(1975) as its example.
In The Nun (2018), the best solution is when Father Burke feels Valak watching their arrival to the monastery and it shows a quick short cutaway of Valak leaving from the window.
Castle of Dracula? It's Cârța Monastery!
Although there are actual advantages of this film in art dimensions, this is a religious/ Catholic propaganda film, and everything the protagonists should do is pray, pray and pray......And the Catholic warriors' massacre is justified through this religious propaganda.
And the blood of Jesus is a fictional device to end Valak. The Nuns pray for The Nun, pray for the box office hit. Just only pray for God to save themselves.
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This film article is for educational purpose only.
