The Nun II has landed a mixed Rotten Tomatoes score as the first reviews have arrived.
The sequel to 2018’s The Nun, which itself is a prequel to The Conjuring 2, picks up four years after the events of the first movie, following Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) as she once again faces demon nun Valak (Bonnie Aarons).
The horror film arrived in cinemas today (September 8) and reviews have now made their way to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the score currently sitting at a soft 51% from 67 reviews.
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While this is more than double the first movie’s certified rotten score of 24% (which is also the lowest score in the entire Conjuring series), it’s still less than desirable.
Here’s what some of the critics have been saying so far:
Digital Spy
“Whenever The Nun II isn’t trying to creep you out, it’s all a bit dull as we wait for Irene and Maurice to catch up with the audience. When they do, the final act is relentless and a sign of how fun a horror movie about a demon nun should be, right down to a relic being wielded like an Infinity Stone.
“Frustrations aside, The Nun II is still a significant improvement on the first movie and one of the stronger Conjuring spin-offs.”
“The filmmaker does a fine job creating a suitably ominous atmosphere (the old-world European locations and Tristan Nyby’s gloomy cinematography really help) and orchestrates the violent mayhem, much of it involving terrified little girls, with disturbing relish.
“One could argue that there’s way too much screaming going on — I mean, after you’ve seen the demon four or five times, is it really that shocking? — but that’s a minor complaint.”
“A new directing and writing team fails to shock or scare with a color-by-numbers plot and a meandering, languid wannabe frightfest. A few audience members fired up their phones halfway through a recent preview, a bad sign for anyone hoping for a gripping experience.”
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“The problem with describing a movie like The Nun II is that its many inane moments sound entertaining when you list them all on one page, but they’re so spread out through this movie that the entertainment is usually quite scarce.
“It isn’t until the film’s final act that we get so many ridiculous scenes in a row that it’s actually somewhat enjoyable.”
The Nun II is in cinemas now.
Content Production Intern, Digital Spy
After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022. In this role, Iona writes across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. During her time at Digital Spy, she has interviewed multiple Love Island stars, reported from the Black Adam red carpet and, most recently, interviewed the cast of Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid.