The Nun (2018) Conjures Up Largest Opening Weekend for Franchise

The Nun raked in $53.5 million over its opening weekend—far exceeding projections. Filmed on a shoestring budget of $22 million, The Nun is a financial success; however, it failed to excite critics and fans alike.

Friday night’s episode “Damaged” on The Dead Files was more believable than the latest offering in the Conjuring franchise. The movie opened with the all-to-cliché disclaimer: “Based on a true story.” Unfortunately, it isn’t. There are more effective ways to insinuate a true tale of horror. Instead, the producers decided to lie. Horror audiences aren’t that gullible.

The film follows Father Burke, played by Demián Bichir, the Catholic Church’s “Miracle Hunter” who has been assigned the uninitiated Sister Irene (played by Taissa Farmiga) as they travel to the isolated Carta Monastery in Romania to investigate the suicide of one of the cloistered nuns. The year is 1952.

Narrative and jump scares propel the film forward. The backstory is complicated as Father Burke and Sister Irene pick up Frenchie, played by Jonas Bloquet, who provides much needed comic relief. The story is slow in places; the jump scares predictable in others.

However, it’s important to stay until the end.

The 96-minute horror movie is rated R.