Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid, Anna Popplewell, Bonnie Andrews, Katelyn Rose Downey, Susanne Bertish, Léontine d’Oncieu, Anouk Darwin Homewood, Peter Hudson, Tamar Baruch, Natalia Safran, Maxime Elias-Menet, Pascal Aubert, Aleadra Gentil, Florence Mestais, Margaux Borel, Viviana Moin, Renata Palminello, Fulvia Patrizia Olivieri, Camille Amiel, Margot Morris, Gaël Raës, Sarah Parchoud, Lieve Carchon, David Horovitch, Paul Spera, Kate Colebrook, Andrew Morgado, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga. 

To feel the depth of evil that cinema can capture and represent on screen is to understand just how closely we are tied to a world of myth, magic, and creation lore, that under the veil of modern sophistication there is still a racing heartbeat that remembers the struggle between the forces of good, and the bounds and shackles of the wicked.

There are a number of reasons why audiences continue to flock to see the likes of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth on stage, why films such as The Omen and The Exorcist are revered and given sanctity in the public debate, but arguably chiefly amongst them is the acknowledgement that we need to keep in our collective memory that evil, whether created by the flesh and blood of humanity or by the design of higher powers, is forever ready to strike at the hearts of good people.

The Conjuring universe takes another large cinematic step to enlightening the public through the works and lives of the Warren’s, Ed and Lorraine, and whether the truth of their exploits and adventures is to be believed or raised above suspicion, the fact that the stories have been weaved together with intricate allusion is a marvel, and that sense of hideous otherworldliness is framed neatly in 2023’s The Nun 2.

There is something decidedly chilly, unnervingly malevolent that which uses the church and religion as the expression of pullingat the seams of the fabric of society, and the team behind The Nun 2 utilise the potential for all that’s worth and with superb dramatic intent; one scene in particular with a newsstand is beyond anything you would expect from cinema.

Taissa Farmiga proves to be just as every inch the actor as her illustrious sister, Vera. Her conduct on screen is exemplary, and the whole film boasts a cast fully engaged with the demands and rigours of the piece in question.

A tremendously fine sequel, born of dedication and appeal.

Ian D. Hall