The Nun's 5 Scariest And Most Brutal Moments From Across The Conjuring Universe
10 years ago, horror maestro James Wan released a film about the real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren called "The Conjuring," which has since spawned into its own horrifying cinematic universe. The first spin-off was "Annabelle," a possessed-doll movie inspired by the real-life doll residing in the Warrens' home and Occult Museum in 1970. Then, during "The Conjuring 2," Wan introduced the demon Valak, who took the form of a terrifying Nun to terrorize Lorraine.
Played by Bonnie Aarons (who is currently suing for not being fairly compensated for how much merchandise has been made using her likeness as the character), The Nun was so effectively scary that fans begged for a solo spin-off, which came in 2018 with "The Nun." While The Conjuring Universe has no shortage of spooky figures, the Nun is almost universally understood as the creepiest of the bunch.
Five years later, "The Nun II" is now in theaters, and the demon Valak shows no signs of holding back anytime soon. In honor of the film's release, it's time to look back at the entire franchise in The Conjuring Universe and highlight five of the scariest and most brutal moments featuring the deceptive demon, specifically in the form of the Nun.
The Nun Sprint - The Nun
While critics and audiences alike weren't all that impressed with "The Nun," which currently boasts a 24 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is home to one of the scariest moments featuring Valak in the form of the Nun. During the climatic final battle between Valak and Sister Irene, Irene uncovers the area where Valak has been lurking under a convent and calls it out. Valak uses its demonic powers to propel Irene back against a staircase partially submerged in water, as the convent's resurrection chamber has been dormant after decades of not being used. Sister Irene looks back at where she last saw Valak, only to see the demon disguised as the Nun slowly rise from the water, like the blasphemous apex predator it is. The nun rises completely above the water, miraculously hovering above the surface. As Jordan Peele's "Nope" so perfectly asked, "What do you call a bad miracle?"
In the case of "The Nun," a bad miracle is Valak staring down at Sister Irene from above the water. The camera switches to the point of view of Sister Irene, who looks directly at the Nun. Just when it seems like she has a moment to get up and continue fighting, Valak charges directly at the camera, grabbing Irene by the face. The speed at which Valak moves incites a shock to the system, and as the audience views the Nun through Irene's eyes, it feels as if it's running right toward us. No one would blame you if you flinched out of reflex, not unlike watching videos where someone hits a foul baseball directly into the lens of a camera.
The Nun in the Hallway - The Conjuring 2 / The Nun II
Sometimes the most effective scares are the most simple in execution, and this is the case for the memorable hallway scares of both "The Conjuring 2" and "The Nun II." Both films display different versions of the same scare, where an unsuspecting would-be victim peers down a hallway covered in bright floral wallpaper only to see the menacing figure staring back at the end. The black silhouette of Bonnie Aarons' Nun is an unsettling juxtaposition in the seemingly friendly environment, and the build-up to the reveal is nothing short of masterful.
In "The Conjuring 2" and "The Nun II," respective directors James Wan and Michael Chaves utilize long tracking shots down the hallway, cutting back and forth between the POV of whoever is looking down the hall (Lorraine Warren in the former, Sophie in the latter), with tension mounting. As the audience, viewers know that the Nun is going to be at the end of the hallway, and all anyone can do is wait for the big reveal.
It's hard not to hold your breath as characters slowly open the door to the hallway, especially knowing there's always a risk that the Nun is going to take off sprinting toward the screen. These moments put the viewer in the position of someone walking through a haunted house attraction, where there's always something lurking around every corner. In the case of both "The Conjuring 2" and "The Nun II," that something is the demon Valak.
The Nun in the Painting - The Conjuring 2
The Nun in the Painting scare of "The Conjuring 2" is actually a continuation of the previously mentioned hallway scare, but is so terrifying and effective, it merits its own discussion. Lorraine Warren sees what appears to be the Nun on the wall, but flips on a light switch to see that there is instead only a painting of her face on the wall. The deep, black charcoal and bright white of her flesh look unsettling and out of place in the warmly designed room, immediately putting viewers on edge. This painting does not belong in this room, and it's only a matter of time before Valak finally appears with a vengeance. Director James Wan lulls the audience into a false sense of security with this painting, letting Lorraine freely move about the room long enough for viewers to lower their defenses.
Suddenly, the lamp near the painting begins to flicker, and the face of the painting changes ever so slightly. It's not enough to constitute a jump scare, but enough to make the audience question whether or not the painting really is moving, or if it's just your eyes playing tricks. Lorraine puts distance between herself and the painting, only for physical fingers to wrap around the frame as if a person is behind it. It's then that hearts begin racing and the adrenaline starts surging through those watching. Valak charges at Lorraine, holding the painting in front of it. The face of the Nun in the painting begins to scream, showing blood-red teeth, with the painting's mouth moving. Whenever Valak is shown through Lorraine's panicked POV, the camera shakes with intensity. It's a terrifying juxtaposition to the slow, methodical moment in the lead up, and helps emphasize why the Nun is one of the scariest entities in The Conjuring Universe.
The Magazine Rack - The Nun II
As has already been established in previous installments, one of Valak's favorite methods of sneaking up on people is to hide in paintings and drawings, only for the demon to manifest into a tangible being and scare the audience half to death. While the moving painting in "The Conjuring 2" is considered by many to be one of Valak's most effective scares, "The Nun II" takes things a step further by telegraphing the photograph scare and forcing the audience to sit anxiously. "The Conjuring 2" painting scare was unexpected and shocked audiences out of their skin as a true jump scare, while the magazine rack scare in "The Nun II" is a terrifying waiting game.
Sister Irene approaches a wall covered with magazines for sale. As the wind picks up and starts blowing the pages open, glimpses of Valak in the form of the nun randomly pop up. By telegraphing what is to come, the audience is forced to sit in discomfort and await for her arrival. There's no escaping the Nun, and there's nowhere for Sister Irene to go. She has to wait for the pages to turn to their rightful spot, and face Valak head-on. Anxiety builds as the pages flip faster and louder, only freezing when Valak's image is revealed. But even then, the stopping of the pages offers no relief, as the audience knows that Valak is bound to jump out at any moment.
Just when it seems like a scary image is the only thing Sister Irene has to be afraid of, Valak does exactly what is expected, and manifests as a physical presence as the street lamps flicker, and grabs Sister Irene by the face. The moment feels like the culmination of all of the jump scares featuring the Nun thus far in the franchise and delivers one of its best scares.
Valak Takes Over Maurice - The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, The Nun, The Nun II
Poor Maurice "Frenchie" Theriault just can't catch a break when it comes to the demon Valak. In the very first film of the franchise, "The Conjuring," Ed and Lorraine Warren discuss assisting an exorcism of a French-Canadian farmer, who would eventually succumb to his possession and take his own life after failing to kill his wife. As "The Nun" makes clear, this possessed man is Frenchie, whom Valak will use as a vessel to enact evil throughout The Conjuring Universe.
Frenchie saves Sister Irene's life at the end of the film, only to be shown with an inverted cross under the skin of his neck — a sign that Valak is inside of him. In "The Nun II," the audience sees just how the possession took place, with Valak's demonic tongue forcing its way down Frenchie's throat. He's completely torn apart by Valak, with skin, eye, and vocal changes distorting his body and mind.
Sister Irene tries her best to exorcise Valak from her friend, and it's a brutal procedure that causes him a lot of agony and anguish. Things seem as if they are all and well at the end of "The Nun," but knowing what is to come with "The Conjuring" and "The Conjuring 2," the end of "The Nun II" is bleak. Fans of the franchise know that Valak is not yet done with Frenchie, and will return for its most relentless attack yet. This man has already been through so much, but it's horrifying to know that Valak has only just begun. The next time fans see Frenchie, it will likely be the last time he's seen alive. There will be no happy ending for Frenchie — only pain, terror, and death.