“The Nun” proves to be underwhelming

“The Nun,” the latest installment in the Conjuring series, gave us what we wanted: horror, cheap thrills and an excuse to toss our popcorn into the air when something unexpected happened.
Set in an isolated abbey in 1952 Romania, “The Nun” sent shivers down spines from the start. Candlelit cobblestone passageways, cultivating chants and makeshift wooden crosses that never seemed to stay upright clearly conveyed that this place was cursed, and no amount of prayer was going to change that.
After a devout nun hangs herself from her bedroom window without explanation, the Vatican sends demon hunter, Father Burke, and young Sister Irene, to investigate and determine if the land was still holy.
Sister Irene was sent on this mission because she experiences visions, much like Lorraine Warren in the original “Conjuring” movies. Their characters mirrored one another as well, both portraying a similar, steely gaze that must come with the ability to see demons.
Sister Irene and Father Burke were accompanied by a flirty, French-Canadian, nicknamed Frenchie, who had found the nun hanging in the beginning of the film.
The Vatican’s representatives are tasked with interviewing the remaining nuns about the death of their sister, but as expected, they spent more time being tormented by the nun, which felt a little disappointing.
The scares felt a bit forced and lacked a solid story line.
The nun in “the Conjuring 2” was a strong, supportive character that gave excitement after coming off the high of the original “Conjuring.” However, she doesn’t seem like a strong enough character that a whole movie needed to be made about her.
When the duration of the film focused on her, she felt two-dimensional, as if the writer was trying too hard.
Maybe “The Nun” was hoping to ride the coattails of the “The Conjuring 2,” the film that made Valak so famous. After all, “The Conjuring 2” had strong performances, really well-developed characters and a storyline that went deeper than just horror. Maybe it was just overly promoted.
After seeing the movie, viewers still couldn’t tell you exactly where Valak came from or why she possessed a nun in the first place.
Fans are also left to wonder how she ended up in “The Conjuring 2,” which was based in England, while “The Nun” was based in Romania, or how she keeps coming back after being condemned to hell.
Overall, this movie was underwhelming. Valak was a solid character and probably always will be, but she was more exciting as a supporting role. “The Conjuring” and “The Conjuring 2” were like going home to your mother’s cooking, rich with flavor and fulfilling, where “The Nun,” though sufficiently scary, was like having a meal at The Hickey. You eat what they have, but you never really feel satisfied with it.