The American supernatural horror film The Nun is directed by Corin Hardy and scripted by Gary Dauberman, from a story by Dauberman and James Wan. It is the fifth film in the Conjuring Universe and a spin-off of The Conjuring 2.
The story follows a priest and a Catholic novice in 1952 Romania as they uncover a horrible secret. A Roman Catholic clergyman blessed the set as it was being produced. In the Conjuring universe, The Nun is a prequel that mainly tells the origin story of Valak, the terrifying demon nun from The Conjuring 2.
The Nun is set in a Romanian convent in 1952, where a number of disturbing phenomena transpire. Father Burke (Demián Bichir), a priest who seeks miracles, and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga), a young nun, are dispatched to look into the location.
The Nun’s plot
In the film, the Vatican sends a priest (Demián Bichir) with a troubled background and a novitiate (Taissa Farmiga) on the verge of her last vows to investigate the suicide of a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania. They uncover the horrible secret of the order together as they encounter an evil power in the form of a demonic nun (Bonnie Aarons), putting not only their lives but also their faith and their souls at risk.
The Nun’s connection to The Conjuring
Valak appears in “The Conjuring 2” and haunts paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) and her husband Ed (Patrick Wilson) for an extended period. “The Nun” describes how Lorraine became involved in the haunting in Enfield, England, and how Valak traveled from Romania to the United States to infect her life.
The Nun's conclusion has a clear connection to "The Conjuring," the first film in the Conjuring saga. The Warrens give a lecture at Massachusetts Western University in that film, presenting a video of an exorcism they took part in and some of the odd things they saw during the event. Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor), whose family is being haunted, attends that talk and is convinced to seek help from the Warrens.
In the video, a French-Canadian guy named Maurice is the victim of demonic possession. "The Nun" clarifies that Maurice is Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet), the young guy who assisted Sister Irene and Father Burke in the convent in Romania. According to The Nun's conclusion, Valak was able to take possession of Frenchie right before Sister Irene closed the catacombs beneath the monastery, which allowed the demon to break free from its confines and enter the outside world. Frenchie discloses his true name when the three finally leave the monastery.
The Warrens perform a recreation of the scene from "The Conjuring" in "The Nun," with Bloquet playing Maurice instead of the real actor. The footage shows Lorraine reacting viciously and fearfully as Marcel whispers something to her. It appears that Valak infiltrates the Warrens' lives at that point. Lorraine had been vaguely feeling Valak's presence for some time, as indicated in "The Conjuring 2," but she had a significant encounter with the demon during the Amityville case (which actually occurred and has been turned into several films, starting with "The Amityville Horror"), which is shown at the start of the film.
Lorraine discovers that Valak is also responsible for another haunting when the Warrens travel to Enfield, England, to look into it. The demon is banished back to hell after Lorraine saves Ed from Valak, who intends to kill him (impaling him similar to the vision Lorraine witnessed).
Also read: The Conjuring universe in order
FAQs about The Nun and The Conjuring
A. Yes, The Nun and The Conjuring are connected. The Nun is a prequel to the Conjuring movies. The plot of the former is set in Romania in 1952.
A. Chronologically, viewers should watch The Nun before the Conjuring movies.
A. The Nun is inspired by some real-life incidents.
