After making a twerking robot doll the biggest viral sensation of 2022, someone must have bet Akela Cooper that she couldn’t make magazines scary. The result? She made magazines scary.
Directed by Michael Chaves (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) from Ian Goldberg & Richard Naing and Cooper’s screenplay, The Nun II looks like a solid blend of atmospheric tension and jump-scare freakouts. Taissa Farmiga returns as Sister Irene, drawn back into battle against Valak (Bonnie Aarons) after the murder of a priest in 1956 France. Luckily, this time she’s at a school with a bunch of young girls being harassed by the demon nun.
Thus, The Conjuringverse continues to expand, leaping forward into the dark to increase over a billion dollars in revenue secured by making people wet themselves in public spaces (you can also pee yourself at home). Who knew that a ghost story would one day become a plucky franchise featuring haunted dolls and a devil in a horrifying habit.
The Nun II also features Jonas Bloquet reprising his role as Frenchie, Storm Reid (The Last of Us), and Anna Popplewell (The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy). Of course, Aarons is the one that really makes it work, looking like Art The Clown in a penguin costume with all the fierceness of a demon scorned.
The movie hits theaters September 8th.