The story’s resolution is what makes it play more like a money-grab. “The Nun” looks like the most expensive and expansive CU film, challenging the notion that these spinoffs are money-grabs done on the cheap. The mood is oppressive, and touches of light like the almost-cute Frenchie-Irene relationship don’t have a chance of breaking through. That said, the idea of ever watching “The Nun” again is unappealing, even compared to the other CU films to which I gave the same grade. Hardy’s emphasis on cloaked figures hiding their faces – be they the good nuns of the castle or the evil one of the title - and a Gregorian-chant-laden score by Abel Korzeniowski are all about setting a mood, and they do it well. However, I think he could’ve been more creative, since in the end we’re still back to the basic idea of a demon in the form of a nun – or The Nun, as it were. Jonas Bloquet rounds out the lead trio as common man Frenchie.ĭauberman gives “The Nun” a sense of mystery without truly crafting a mystery in a way, this is a neat trick. Taissa Farmiga plays a more off-the-beaten-path character, heroic nun-to-be Sister Irene. I don’t hold it against the actor that Burke is a precise “Exorcist” ripoff, and that many of his perilous situations, like being buried alive, are notably clichéd. Stars: Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquetĭemian Bichir classes up “The Nun” as Father Burke, a Spanish-accented priest with a troubled past. Writers: Gary Dauberman (screenplay), James Wan (story)