Ten years after the primary The Conjuring film hit theater screens, producer James Wan presents one other chapter within the long-running franchise — The Nun II. Cursed with blended evaluations, this newest thrill fest delivers every part Conjuring followers need: leap scares, eerie ambiance, and lore that dives deeper than your common horror pic.
The place does The Nun II rank within the grand The Conjuring Universe? I’m glad you requested as a result of I’ve reviewed the 9-episode saga and ranked them from worst to greatest.
9) The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
The Conjuring Universe by no means fails to supply the requisite scares these creepy trailers promise, however usually on the expense of story and character. There’s a wealthy lore ready to be mined in The Curse of La Llorona, however director Michael Chaves barely scratches the floor. When the third act arrives, it’s laborious to care in regards to the wild happenings as a result of not sufficient time is spent creating the characters or story.
Nonetheless, there’s no denying the movie is sporadically enjoyable. Linda Cardellini does what she will in an underwritten function, the manufacturing design is appropriately gothic, and the ultimate confrontation with the “Weeping Lady” delivers just a few chills. You may skip this one and never miss a beat.
8) The Nun (2018)
The Nun might not present the neatest thrills in The Conjuring Universe, however one way or the other, it really works as a fleeting piece of horror fantasy. Name it bottom-of-the-barrel horror, an image that always resembles an prolonged episode of Goosebumps slightly than, say, The Exorcist.
Director Corin Hardy leans too closely on low-cost scare techniques to the purpose the place the viewer turns into resistant to the absurd quantity of leap scares, notably within the last act. The Nun can also be too darkish and brooding for its personal good, with bland characters standing round darkly lit rooms mumbling exposition between the quite a few set items.
But, the pic remains to be value watching, notably with a younger crowd who will seemingly benefit from the nonstop jolts and ignore the defective plot mechanics. Don’t anticipate The Exorcist and also you’ll have an excellent time.
7) Annabelle (2014)
Darkish and foreboding, Annabelle works additional time to thrill audiences and infrequently reaches spectacular heights. The finale alone is definitely worth the worth of admission.
On a unfavourable observe, that is the kind of image that you just watch and instantly overlook. It’s a rollercoaster that delivers the products however lacks the required substance to make it stick.
Too unhealthy, as a result of I had a enjoyable time with Annabelle on my newest rewatch. I’ve seen it a number of instances however can be hard-pressed to recollect any essential plot factors. I forgot Alfre Woodard was within the rattling factor! In that method, Annabelle is the kind of horror movie you possibly can recognize repeatedly as a result of every viewing looks like the primary.
6) The Nun II (2023)
Like the unique The Nun, The Nun II doesn’t dive deep sufficient into its subject material to supply something greater than surface-level thrills. But, Michael Chaves strikes the pic alongside so confidently that such criticisms are moot.
Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, and Bonnie Aarons return for extra ghastly mayhem with that creepy-ass nun, Valak. The scares are quite a few however efficient, and crowds ought to get a kick out of the wild third act that pulls out all of the stops. It’s nothing style followers have by no means seen earlier than in higher movies, however you may do far worse on a mid-September weekend.
5) Annabelle Comes Dwelling (2019)
The third entry within the Annabelle franchise will get kudos for giving audiences precisely what they anticipate — no extra, no much less. Right here, director Gary Dauberman posits a gaggle of characters in a haunted home, spends half-hour exhibiting off all of the creepy units he’ll use to scare you, after which lets unfastened within the second half.
Surprisingly, this simplistic method works within the movie’s favor. Right here we’ve a movie designed to entertain the plenty, that includes a plucky forged and a intelligent array of horror props. Characters slowly (and stupidly) stroll into darkish rooms alone, knowingly mess with cursed objects, and behave irrationally in pivotal moments, however that’s a part of Annabelle’s allure. It’s all utter nonsense and doesn’t transfer the franchise in any new instructions, however if you happen to’re on the lookout for the kind of scares that’ll make you scream and snigger, Annabelle Comes House is flawless.
4) The Conjuring: The Satan Made Me Do It (2021)
Loads have been disillusioned with the third Conjuring pic. Whereas I admit it’s less than par with the earlier two, this threequel not less than applies a contemporary coat of paint to the collection. Storywise, it’s all the identical — a demon possesses somebody, necessitating an investigation by the Warrens, yada, yada, yada.
Nonetheless, director Michael Chaves takes a harsher method, counting on unsettling violence over drawn-out scares to obliterate your soul. It’s all nonetheless darkish corridors and red-eyed ghouls able to contorting their our bodies in squeamish methods, however the grit and dirt splatters off the display on this go-round. From the wild opening sequence involving a possessed younger boy, Chaves virtually dares you to look away. I dug it.
3) Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Director David F. Sandberg lends horror skills to the Annabelle franchise on this superior sequel that pushes all the appropriate buttons and expands the lore in distinctive methods. The movie delves into the backstory of the creepy Annabelle, exploring the origins of the malevolent spirit inhabiting the doll and including layers to the general narrative.
Soar scares abound however are expertly designed and efficient in all the appropriate methods, primarily because of the creepy, remoted farmhouse setting that gives an additional layer of terror. The characters really feel extra fleshed out, so that you root for (or towards) them throughout the pivotal third act. In different phrases, there’s an abundance of coronary heart and soul to go together with the madcap, bone-breaking carnage, rendering Annabelle: Creation one of many extra substantial entries in The Conjuring Universe.
2) The Conjuring (2013)
The one which began all of it, James Wan’s The Conjuring, stays a compelling piece of horror that’ll maintain you up at night time due to its expertly designed scares and extremely bleak ambiance.
Centered round real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), The Conjuring particulars the unusual happenings surrounding a household in Harrisville, Rhode Island. A demon has latched onto the Perron clan and finally possesses one of many kids, requiring a go to from the Warrens.
It’s all an excuse for Wan to craft depraved set items, notably a sequence by which poor Lili Taylor performs a recreation of cover and clap with a slightly mischievous demon. Drawing from movies akin to Poltergeist and The Exorcist, Wan creates a contemporary horror basic that feels actual sufficient to maintain you peering into these darkish shadows lurking within the corners of your own home. It’s a bloody good time.
1) The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Doubling down on every part that made the unique Conjuring a compelling horror trip, The Conjuring 2 is a rarity within the horror discipline — a movie so competently made that it feels utterly faraway from the (principally) hole sequels that adopted. Name it The Darkish Knight of the horror style.
Working off one other true-life story centered across the Warrens, the sequel now sees our paranormal investigators battling one other demon, this time in London. Wan expands the lore, creating intriguing new monsters and characters, however by no means loses sight of his predominant protagonists. Ed and Lorraine might by no means evolve past a loyal husband and spouse group, however Farmiga and Wilson infuse them with sufficient coronary heart and soul to make you care about their well-being, whilst they’re going toe-to-toe with evil nuns and cockney ghouls.
Shout out to that Crooked Man sequence and an unsettling ending brimming with all types of methods and treats. An exciting, enthralling, sensible piece of horror.