Promising to be the darkest chapter yet in The Conjuring universe, The Nun sees its title villain terrorizing a secluded convent in Romania, in 1952, long before the demon ever crossed paths with Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring 2. Directed by Corin Hardy (The Hallow), and starring Taissa Farmiga, Demián Bichir, and Bonnie Aarons, The Nun explores the origins of the terrifying demon Valak. Ahead of its theatrical release on September 7, select members of the international press were invited to a special, spooky experience in Mexico City, at the Ex Convento Desierto de los Leones, to face off against Valak.
Tucked away in the mountains, the 17th century convent has its own extensive history with earthquakes, thieves, and ghosts, proving to be the perfect setting to experience The Nun. We arrived at the convent during a heavy thunderstorm; the hail, thunder, and torrential downpour making for an ominous greeting. Quietly ushered into the chilly chapel of the convent, cast in an eerie red glow, we were the first to set eyes on The Nun, a requirement if we were to have a chance at surviving the evil of Valak later in the evening.
From a visual standpoint, this entry in The Conjuring series is absolutely breathtaking. Director Corin Hardy weaves in a number of influences to create a lush gothic horror story that feels both vintage and modern at once. The Nun essentially feels like a modern Hammer House of Horror film, and nods to Mario Bava. It’s dripping with visceral, bloody gothic imagery. There’s a rich world of mythology behind the origin of Valak that’s introduced, begging to be explored further; this is the most epic-scaled film in The Conjuring series yet. It’s bloody, dark, and yet feels right at home with the world James Wan and screenwriter Gary Dauberman created.
The Nun ties back to the original films in a surprising way, though it doesn’t quite hold up to scrutiny. As for Farmiga and Bichir, both are strong, amiable leads, though it’s tough to follow Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s charming versions of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Jonas Bloquet is the biggest surprise as Frenchie, bringing levity to a nonstop spookfest. Of course, Bonnie Aarons shines in the title role, and Valak retains the crown as the most terrifying entity in the franchise.
Once given enough time to catch our breaths and settle our heart rates after the screening, we were broken down into smaller groups and escorted through the convent by a pair of nuns. It didn’t take long into the tour for Valak to make its presence known, and one of our group members went missing almost immediately. Rooms were littered with dead bodies, crosses turned themselves upside down if we lingered too long, and powerful reenactments of scenes straight out of the movie served up scares as we trekked further and further into the convent. Eventually, the nuns led us straight into the bowels of the convent; the dark, creepy catacombs. We weren’t alone. It was here in the dark, with only candles and our lanterns to illuminate the way, that the haunting presence of the Demon Nun closed in. Members of our group lagged behind, and their screams of terror signaling Valak was coming from behind.
Eventually, our quest brought us back above ground to a graveyard, where our missing team member had been locked in a coffin in parallel with a character’s journey from the film. Releasing him from his coffin trap meant the final piece of the puzzle needed to escape Valak’s clutches. We survived! But when The Nun arrives in theaters on September 7, will you?
