The Nun (2018) — Review and Its Impact on The Conjuring Universe

Since 2013, The Conjuring Universe has been a dominant force in contemporary horror. In 2018, filmmakers James Wan and Gary Dauberman expanded that world with The Nun, a gothic spin-off directed by Corin Hardy and positioned as the franchise’s fifth installment. Set in 1952 Romania, The Nun serves as a prequel to The Conjuring 2 and aims to explain the origins of the demon Valak that terrified audiences in earlier films.

As a longtime fan of the franchise and of modern supernatural horror, I went to see The Nun with high expectations. The Conjuring series has combined classic scares with strong characters and a genuine emotional core, and I hoped The Nun would continue that tradition. While the film delivers atmosphere, striking visuals, and committed performances, it ultimately left me disappointed because of narrative inconsistencies and an overreliance on familiar jump scares.

Plot Overview (No Major Spoilers)

The Nun opens with a violent incident at the Cârța Monastery, where two nuns are attacked. Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet), a French quarry worker, discovers one of the bodies, which propels the Vatican to send Father Burke (Demián Bichir) and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) to investigate. Irene is still a novice and has had visions of a nun since childhood, while Burke carries the trauma of a failed exorcism. Together with Frenchie, they confront the monastery’s secrets and the demonic presence linked to Valak. The film establishes Frenchie as the connective thread between this story and the later Conjuring timeline.

What Works

Several elements stand out positively. The principal cast delivers strong, believable performances. Taissa Farmiga captures an unsettling mix of courage and vulnerability as Sister Irene, echoing some mannerisms associated with her sister Vera Farmiga’s portrayals in the franchise without feeling like a direct imitation. Demián Bichir brings gravitas to Father Burke, and Jonas Bloquet provides charm and human grounding as Frenchie.

Corin Hardy’s direction, combined with Maxime Alexandre’s cinematography, creates an immersive and claustrophobic monastery setting. The camera work often keeps the viewer in step with the characters’ perspectives, amplifying suspense by restricting what we see and maintaining tension. Abel Korzeniowski’s score contributes effectively to the film’s mood, and the recurring choir-like “oooo” sound tied to the nun’s appearances (familiarly associated with Valak) remains an efficient auditory trigger for dread.

Where the Film Falls Short

However, the story suffers from uneven pacing and moments of illogical plotting. Compared with earlier Conjuring entries, The Nun feels fragmented at times, as if the screenplay struggles to balance backstory, scares, and character development. The horror often defaults to predictable jump scares rather than building sustained psychological terror, and some of the most effective jolts were already featured in trailers, reducing their impact in the theater.

Characterization is another weak point. Frenchie’s role vacillates between comic relief, romantic lead, and narrative bridge, leaving him underused for much of the film. Other secondary characters receive limited development, which undermines emotional stakes. Moreover, the connections between this prequel and the broader Conjuring Universe are only partially satisfying — important threads are set up but left ambiguous, prompting more questions than clarity about Sister Irene’s ultimate place in the timeline and how events tie directly to The Conjuring mythology.

Reception and Box Office

Critical response to The Nun was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes the film averaged around 4.5/10 from critics, who praised the performances and atmosphere but criticized narrative weaknesses and logical gaps. At the box office, The Nun performed strongly, grossing over $300 million worldwide against a modest production budget reported around $22 million, demonstrating that franchise anticipation translated into commercial success despite critical reservations.

Conclusion — A Stylish But Flawed Entry

The Nun offers memorable visuals, a tense soundscape, and fine lead performances, but it struggles to deliver a coherent, fully satisfying story. For fans of the Conjuring Universe, the film provides lore and atmosphere worth experiencing on the big screen, yet it marks a noticeable dip in narrative quality compared with prior installments. If the franchise intends to expand further, future entries should aim to preserve the emotional depth and logical clarity that made the earlier Conjuring films effective, rather than relying primarily on shock value and franchise recognition.

In short: The Nun is an atmospheric, well-acted prequel that looks and sounds great, but its storytelling gaps and predictable scares make it a weaker addition to an otherwise strong horror universe.