The Nun II

The Catholic horror wheel isn’t reinvented, but the jump scares are so nonstop and occasionally clever that I was left wondering: is this the most fun I’ve had at the movies all summer?

I actually like this better than the first Nun, in terms of its atmosphere, in terms of its mood; and then eventually 4:59 there is some emotional groundedness that the first one lacks.

I was never bored by this sequel, and even if I always knew how things were going to work themselves out, my eyes nonetheless remained glued to the screen.

The Michael Chaves-directed sequel is a messy but entertaining one that finally seems to justify this sub-franchise’s existence.

This entry absolves the spin-offs' worst sins; it's sometimes sillier than it is scary, but it's never as boring as either its direct predecessor or Chaves's The Curse of La Llorona.

A slick if familiar addition to the very fertile “Conjuring” universe that, by deftly expanding on the 2018 hit, appears destined to become another cinematic habit.

There are certain moments from the original The Conjuring that have stuck with me for a decade and counting. I’d be surprised if I remember anything from The Nun II within the next couple of weeks.

Leveraging girl’s school games, gothic locations, and a few decently disturbing moments, Michael Chaves finally delivers the goods missing in his previous Conjuring Universe efforts… even enough to forgive another in a long line of misdirection McGuffins.

While the story is lackluster and poorly told, the film delivers the jump scares and creepy imagery that fans of this franchise have come to expect. The Nun II is an effective thrill-ride and little else.

The Nun II is one is one of my genuine surprises of 2023. It is a film that is not only going to be embraced by fans of The Conjuring universe but is going to be universally loved by horror fans as a whole.