[Set Visit] How ‘The Nun’ Was Inspired By ‘Castlevania’ and Hammer Horror Films
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I don’t think I’d be rubbing too many people the wrong way by saying that The Conjuring 2 is one of the scariest movies out there, and that’s in no small part thanks to Bonnie Aarons‘ expertly portrayed demon nun, Valak. Whereas giving the creepy doll Annabelle her own movie seemed like somewhat of an odd choice, a prequel focusing on Valak is a super exciting prospect.
Needless to say, I was already pretty excited when I walked onto the film’s set back in June of 2017, but when we sat down to talk to the film’s screenwriter, Gary Dauberman (It, Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation) and he started to talk about some of the influences for The Nun, I didn’t know how I was going to wait over a year to see the finished product.
“You know, Castlevania sort of comes to mind, it’s one of my favorites, I know James loves that too, so we talked a lot about that,” Dauberman revealed.
“We talked about the Hammer horror films – the more moody and atmospheric stuff – and Raiders [of the Lost Ark] was a big influence on me early on, writing this one, because it’s very much a mission movie; they’re sort of assigned their tasks, this priest and this nun, and then you’re off to the races.”
Castlevania, which holds the title of one of the best video games adaptations ever thanks to its Netflix series, is exactly what I want to hear when someone’s talking to me about a movie that’s about a Father and Sister traveling across Romania to investigate a murder in a forgotten abbey. Instantly my head fills with dark and colorful color pallets, sprawling castles and horrific enemies of the church to vanquish.
Raiders of the Lost Ark is seemingly the perfect pairing. One of my biggest gripes with Annabelle: Creation was that, despite loving the film, there really wasn’t much of a story to be told past the barrage of jump scares. One of the reasons The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 work so well for me is because the Warrens have a shared goal or mission to accomplish from the get-go that gives you a journey to remember, as well as something to root for.
The adventure film aspect of The Nun also makes me think that the film will be much more character driven than Annabelle and Annabelle: Creation. I think differentiating itself from what’s come before is good, because who really wants another retread of what we’ve already seen?
The third inspiration for The Nun is the film adaption of the novel The Name of the Rose, a 1986 murder-mystery starring Sean Connery and Christian Slater as a friar and his apprentice who are called upon to solve a mystery in an abbey. This one came from the series’ creator James Wan.
“With James, he’s got so many great ideas and he sort of sat down and said, ‘Here’s what I’m thinking about.’ He had a very clear vision of what he wanted in terms of setting, characters, and location, and we reference in The Name of the Rose,” Dauberman says. “It’s so fun and educational to sit across from him and talk story because he knows what works and he’s got a ton of great ideas. He’s generous with his ideas, and also open to other people’s ideas as well, so it’s not, ‘This is how it has to be,’ it’s, ‘This is what I’m thinking, what do you think?’ He pretty much said, ‘This is what it’s going to be,’ and it’s just about picking up the ball and trying to run with it as far downfield as you can.”
The Nun releases September 7, 2018.
A new month means a new guide as titles are added (and dropped) from streaming services. Let’s unpack the most exciting titles that are available to watch on Tubi in July 2026.
New to Tubi July Horror Films
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
- Premise: Searching for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the prey as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.
- Why Watch It? Let’s be frank: Director Renny Harlin has made some absolute dogs in the last few years (the less said about The Strangers trilogy the better, though this year’s Deep Water was actually ok). Deep Blue Sea remains one of the Finnish director’s best contemporary efforts, though. Between the great cast (Samuel L. Jackson, Saffron Burrows, Stellan Skarsgård, Michael Rapaport, LL Cool J, Thomas Jane, and Jane’s sleeveless wetsuit), the ridiculous premise, and that damn/dumb song (“My hat is like a shark’s fin”), you basically can’t go wrong with Deep Blue Sea. It’s one of two great shark films gliding onto Tubi this month, so why not stay out of the water and watch this instead?
- Streaming: July 1
Exorcist II: Heretic (1977)
- Premise: Reagan (Linda Blair), a girl once possessed by a demon, finds that it still lurks within her. Meanwhile, Father Lamont (Richard Burton) investigates the death of the priest who performed her exorcism.
- Why Watch It? August sees the release of documentary Boorman and the Devil, which is about the troubled production of this sequel. The notoriety surrounding Heretic has undoubtedly kept plenty of horror fans away from the sequel, but this truly is a “seeing is believing” kind of film. Real talk: it’s undeniably a disaster, but the John Boorman film has also become a minor cult film. Don’t you want to see it to make up your own mind?
- Streaming: July 1
Hostel: Part III (2011)
- Premise: Four men attending a bachelor party in Las Vegas fall prey to the Elite Hunting Club, who are hosting a gruesome game show of torture.
- Why Watch It? What does Hostel look like without Eli Roth? Part III kinda answers the question. Technically Roth is still a writer, but he hands over the directorial reins to Scott Spiegel (best known for acting in Evil Dead films). The result is a film with a terrible pedigree; it’s also the first (and last) entry to skip theatres before the franchise was permanently shelved (until that TV show with Paul Giamatti shows up?). For some horror fans, however, there’s something exciting about a bad low-budget sequel. Just bear in mind that the Hostel: Part III‘s biggest star is Kip Pardue…so adjust your expectations accordingly before hitting play.
- Streaming: July 1
Insidious 1-3 (2010/2013/2015)
- Premise: A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.
- Why Watch It? It’s hard to believe that the sixth (!) Insidious movie is coming out in a month and a half, but James Wan and Leigh Whannell‘s other horror franchise has been steadily chugging along for sixteen years. It’s a shame that Tubi doesn’t have all five films available to watch, but in terms of quality, you can do far worse than the original trio. The first film is iconic, and the second is basically an extended coda (with some admittedly problematic stuff going on). I’ll go to bat for Whannell’s 2015 directorial debut, though: there’s a few banger sequences in that film that people slept on.
- Streaming: July 1
Man Finds Tape (2025)
- Premise: After finding mysterious video clips, siblings investigate the strange recordings and uncover a disturbing secret spreading through their Texas town.
- Why Watch It? Writer/directors Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall‘s well-received found footage film did an extensive tour of the festival circuit, so now is a great time to check out one of the most contemporary titles debuting on Tubi this month. Surely a title that hails from producers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Spring and The Endless) is worth a free look?
- Streaming: July 2
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
- Premise: A depressed musician Adam (Tom Hiddleston) reunites with his lover Eve (Tilda Swinton). However, their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska).
- Why Watch It? This beautiful, melancholy vampire film is courtesy of writer/director Jim Jarmusch, who doesn’t often dabble in genre fare. As always, some will quibble if this artsy drama qualifies as horror, but the existential ennui of an eternal life certainly qualifies (bonus: there’s also something inherently sexy about watching Hiddleston and Swinton just lay about). Plus: if Leviticus has you hankering for more Wasikowska, this is an under the radar pick.
- Streaming: July 1
The Shallows (2016)
- Premise:A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy (Blake Lively) is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.
- Why Watch It? What better time to watch a shark movie than July? The temperatures are soaring and the idea of escaping into the water is so tantalizing. This tight, contained thriller features a great performance by Lively (and that damn seagull!), but it’s the direction from genre fave Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan; the House of Wax remake) that keeps the movie clicking along like clockwork. At 86 minutes, this is a perfect summer flick.
- Streaming: July 1
Vacancy (2007)
- Premise: Stranded in an isolated motel, a couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) become the unsuspecting subjects of a snuff film.
- Why Watch It? I’m not going to pretend that this Nimród Antal-directed home invasion film is high art, but it is a good time. You’ll likely wish there were deeper characterizations for Wilson and Beckinsale’s David and Amy in Mark L. Smith‘s screenplay, but this mid-aughts thriller is tense, exciting, and just the right amount of grimy. Plus: another short runtime, clocking in at an expeditious 85 minutes!
- Streaming: July 1
July Tubi Originals
The One Next Door (2026)
- Premise: When a mysterious stranger moves in next door to Robert and Tabitha, boundaries are tested, loyalty is questioned, and danger comes for all.
- Streaming: July 10
I Know Where You Live (2026)
- Premise: Sarah thinks she’s found “the one” until his flaws emerge. When she pulls away, chilling threats suggest he’s watching her from inside her own home.
- Streaming: July 24
What’s your favorite from the list above? Will you check out the new Original? Sound off in the comments below
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