Joel R.’s review published on Letterboxd:
I enjoyed the first Nun more than most, it's my favorite film in the Conjuring universe, a franchise I'm honestly not a big fan of. So I was already looking forward to this and then I kept hearing from people I trust that it's actually pretty good, a big improvement over the original! That actually got me really excited! Unfortunately I'm sad to say I'm a little disappointed.
I really like Taissa Farmiga so I was very happy they brought her back and I appreciated all the new characters and the greater attempts at developing them. There's also some decent fun to be had in the second half when all hell breaks lose and people start running for their lives but that's where the positives end for me.
I miss the more isolated setting of the first film, it's gothic look, atmosphere and mood.
I really wish they had brought Demián Bichir back as Father Burke, at least as a cameo. He should have been the priest who got killed at the very beginning. It would have been a total gut punch seeing Valak get revenge on one of the main protagonists of the first film, the perfect catalyst to kick things off, raise the stakes and make it more personal for Sister Irene. It also would have been a far better more impactful and meaningful ending for the character than the brief throw away line were given instead.
I said there's some decent fun in the second half but it could've been better than decent, it could've been great! We see a lot of people running for their lives but not enough of the things they're running from. The Black Philip like goat demon that chases the young girls around the school for instance shoulda got way more screen time!
Speaking of screen time, there's not enough Nun! Valak gets sidelined far too often, replaced by the far less scary Frenchie doing a Jack Torrence impersonation.
But by far my biggest gripe with the film was the need to find a new relic to defeat Valak. What relic could possibly be more powerful than the blood of Jesus Christ himself they used in the first film? They don't really have an answer for that which leads to the way they ultimately defeat Valak being about as crystal clear as mud.
I'm glad for everyone finding this a better film than the first but for me I'll still take the original, it remains the only film in entire Conjuring franchise I enjoy, all the rest are just mediocre.
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