Displaying items by tag: James Wan

THE NUN II

US, 2023, 110 minutes, Colour.

Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Blocquet, Storm Reid, Anna Popplewell, Bonnie Aarons, Katelyn Rose Downey.

Directed by Michael Chaves.

It is five years since the appearance of The Nun, part of the very successful horror franchise, The Conjuring, based on the real-life activities of exorcist couple, Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga who appear again in the final credits – and star,Taissa Farmiga, is Vera’s younger sister). Most of the comments on this sequel note that it is better than the original. The narrative here continues with the storyline as Well Is key characters from the original.

In fact, much of the narrative of The Nun II is very similar to that of the original (and this reviewer, noting the original review, found that much of it could be re-said here.)

Sister Irene, Taissa Farmiga, was commissioned in the first film to be an assistant exorcist with the priest, both sent by the Vatican to Romania, encountering diabolical presences, especially in the form of a sinister and frightening -looking nun. In Romania was a sympathetic gardener, Frenchy, who is also possessed by the Demon. That was set in 1952.

This film opens in 1956, and was filmed at an abandoned church in France, the setting here. Once again, the nun has appeared and a priest literally goes up in flames. In the meantime, there is a girls’ school nearby, a nice student with her mother a teacher, bullied by the girls, a severe headmistress. But there is a sympathetic gardener, Maurice – who, in fact, is Frenchy, come from Romania (with Belgian actor Jonas Blocket reprising his role), charming everyone.

Back home, Sister Irene listens to rather ghostly tales told with relish by some of the older nuns. She has a friend, Sister Debra, Storm Reid, whose parents have fled the American South with Debra finding herself placed in the convent. She has a sceptical attitude and would love to see a miracle. When a bishop sends sister Irene to France, reluctantly because she was so scarred by the experience in Romania, Debra accompanies her.

While there have been some scares and frights early in the film, the middle part is the Sisters travelling, assessing the situation, seeing what happens in the school.

However, for the last 30 minutes and more of the film, there is no lack of scares, frights, sinister behaviour, diabolical apparitions – and a reminder that Sister Irene feels she was responsible after Frenchy/Maurice had saved her in Romania, that the Demon had entered him (shown in flashbacks). So, he is re-possessed, pursuing the nuns, pursuing the young girl and her mother, terrorising the other students. There is also a monstrous goat. This is very much a female-oriented film, Maurice being the only significant male character. And Debra, who has also been terrorised, declares that she has seen some miracles.

As with the previous film, this is an imagination based on folkloric aspects of Catholicism rather than theology and ritual. Sister Irene, especially not in the 1950s, would not have been an immediate choice to go out on exorcisms. And her rituals, such as they are, are very basic, although she and Debra do say the words of consecration and barrels of wine come gushing out destructively – and they have mentioned that a relic used in previous exorcisms was a phial with the blood of Christ. This time, however, there are references to St Lucy, her being blinded, and, her eyes kept in a reliquary which certainly achieves exorcism success.

If an audience enjoys this kind of religious horror-exorcism film, there is plenty here.

1. The popularity of The Conjuring franchise, the background of exorcisms, the Warrens, based on real-life? And the further developments and imaginations? The original, The Nun?
2. The favourable commentary on the sequel? But the repetition of the major aspects of the plot? Of the Catholic folklore rather than theology?
3. The tradition of exorcism films, Catholic films, priests and exorcists, non-Catholic exorcism films, secular exorcism is, in other religions?
4. The continuity, Sister Irene and her role in exorcism in the first film, Romania, the encounter with Frenchy, with the priest, the Vatican commission? The effect of the exorcism on her? Four years later, in the convent, the community, the older nuns, telling horror stories in community, Debra, young, difficulties in the American South, her family moving, placing her in the convent, her smoking, scepticism, wanting a miracle, support from Irene?
5. France, 1956, four years after Romania? The opening, the priest, the boy in the sacristy, the issue of the wine, the ominous presence in the cellar, the appearance of the nun, the boy and his horror, the priest and going up in flames? The church not being used afterwards? But the boy in the town?
6. The girls’ school, Sophie, her mother, the bullying girls and their laughing, tormenting Sophie, locking her in the room? The experience of the image of the goat, the red light in its eye, her terror? Her mother, teaching in the school?
7. Frenchy, charming, the gardener, his bond with Sophie, Captain? His demands on the other girls? The bond with Sophie’s mother?
8. Irene, the visit of the carnival, the commission for her to go to France? Talking with Debra, Debra going with her, the travels? The arrival in the town, the problem of accommodation?
9. Irene, as exorcist, the experiences in the town, her talking with the young boy? Sophie, her mother? The support of Debra? The church, the sacristy? The belltower?
10. The encounter with Frenchy, the flashbacks to the past, his rescuing her in Romania, the serpent entering him, his being possessed? His bringing the demonic presence and the nun to France?
11. The episode with the headmistress, the story of her son, her severity, the mischievous girls putting the moths, wanting Maurice to remedy the room, the violence of her death? Her later menacing appearance?
12. The folklore for exorcism, a woman exorcist, the young nun, her prayers, the issue of the phial of the blood of Christ, the red eye of the goat and the torch and Sophie rescuing it, the dangers as the possessed Frenchy attacking her? The image of St Lucy, martyr, blind, patron of the blind, the symbolism of the reliquary with her eyes? The importance of these for the exorcism? Minimal prayer and blessings, Debra and Irene quoting words of consecration, the wind, image of the blood of Christ, its deluge effect?
13. The last half hour, scares, frights, horror, the girls being menaced, Sophie in the belltower and the fall, her mother and concern, Debra and the attack? The image of the goat, the monstrous goat, the chases, the corridors, the locked doors? The nun, the images on the walls, the reality, towering, menace?
14. Irene, the successful confrontation, Irene being set alight, Debra recovering her? The attack on Maurice, the exorcism, exhaling the demon, his recovery?
15. The impact on Irene, Debra and her saying she had witnessed a miracle after her early scepticism? The future at the school, Maurice, Sophie and her mother?

INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR

US, 2023, 107 minutes, Colour.

Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Sinclair Daniel, Hiam Abbas, Andrew As Store, Peter Dager, David Call, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Lin Shaye.

Directed by Patrick Wilson.

This is the fifth episode in the Insidious franchise and initial critical and box office positive response indicates that fans of the series have not been disappointed. The Insidious films are the brainchild of Australian writers and directors, Leigh Whannell and James Wan. (And it is they who began the Saw franchise as well as contributing to The Conjuring franchise – and with Patrick Wilson as the star of insidious as well as the Conjuring films, casual viewers of the series may well get them mixed up

However, the screenplay has been cleverly written so that fans will not be confused. It goes back almost 10 years and continues from eerie experiences for Josh Lambert and his young son, Dalton. In case we don’t remember exactly the details, this film opens with them undergoing hypnosis so that the memories of the frightening experiences will vanish, Josh recovering and resuming his life, Dalton, on the other hand, going into coma for a year. Dalton is played by Ty Simpkins who played the young boy it 10 years earlier. Josh, on the one hand, still feels disturbed but does not understand why, difficulties with his wife and divorcing her, puzzles about his supportive mother – who dies and is buried also at the beginning of the film.

So, the present. Josh is disturbed at his mother’s funeral when he encounters the doctor who hypnotised him but does not recognise him. And the disturbances begin again, vague memories of his absent father, but, gradually, his becoming possessed by visions of bodied and disembodied characters, more and more disturbed. And he has lost the bond with his son. He does off to drive Dalton to his new college, help him settle in, but Dalton is a strange character in himself, dark, morose, a skilful artist who has drawn a portrait of his grandmother, but, like his father, becoming more and more possessed by strange creatures in his imagination and dreams.

Dalton has enrolled in art classes and experiences the highly demanding lecturer, played by Haim Abbas, who illustrates her themes by some of the ferocious Goya paintings, the father devouring his child. She encourages the artists to be quiet, count back from 10, then paint what emerges from their psyche. Dalton starts to paint ominous pictures, especially a red door and a mysterious ferocious character, at first not distinguishable, but then resembling his father, with an axe. Dalton has disturbing dreams, fantasies, out of body experiences.

There is a potential strong anchor in Dalton’s life, a new student, Chris (a vigorous performance by Sinclair Daniel), supporting Dalton, trying to understand him, sharing in some of his fearful experiences.

Josh goes through an MRI process but there is nothing wrong with his brain. But he does go into a deep sleep, nightmares, confronting his inner fears, understanding his father, eventually bonding with Dalton.

Patrick Wilson has been convincing in both the Insidious and Conjuring films – and, this time he is the director. Allegedly the end of the series, but with audience interest who knows what creative turns screenwriters can come up with.

1.     The popularity of the series? This one the fifth? Presupposing earlier films in the series, characters, suppression of memories, surfacing of memories? And the appearance of Elise?

2.     The title, in this film, astral projections, insidious presence, handed on from father to son? The red door, Dalton and his painting, the continued painting, the appearance of the door, behind the door?

3.     The opening with the funeral, the family home, driving Dalton to college, the rooms, the art lectures, the frat party, Josh and his MRI scan, the visits to the home? The contrast with the eerie sequences, astral projections, creatures, intrusions, nightmares, threats and violence, jump scares for the audience? The musical score?

4.     The initial visit to the hypnotist, the suppression of the memories, in Josh, Dalton in coma for a year? His wife and her knowing the truth? Josh’s mother knowing the truth? Her death, the funeral, the presence of the hypnotist? The beginning to jogging Josh’s memory?

5.     The tension in the family, the divorce, Josh and the children, the visits, his wife and her love for Josh, her not being able to handle the situation? The death of the mother? Dalton’s portrait, indication of secrets?

6.     Josh, trying to bond with Dalton, Dalton’s reactions, driving him to college, the frat notices, Josh carrying the luggage, the room, the bed, putting the pictures on the wall, the arrival of Chris, the mistake with the name, male/female? Her staying one night, the discussions, her getting the change of room, going upstairs? Her bright personality?

7.     The art classes, the teacher, strong-minded, the artist refusing to destroy his painting, leaving? Josh, tearing up the painting, the praise of the painting, her praise of Josh’s determination? The lectures, counting from 10, painting whatever surfaced, Josh and the red door, the sinister presence, the black? The teacher and her comments about Goya and his experiences, surfacing in his painting? The father devouring the child?

8.     Josh, going to the MRI, the sinister experiences, asleep, waking, the further presences? The story of his father, absence, hostility? His father’s note about things ending? His death? Yet a sinister presence? Josh and his contact with Dalton? Going to the home, his wife revealing the truth, his sleeping, going into a trance, the violent experiences, the threat of his father, the axe, his becoming like his father, the memories of the past, Dalton is a boy, the frightening situations, Josh possessed by his father, leading to saving Dalton? His waking up and reassured?

9.     Dalton, painting, his quiet personality, Chris forcing him to go to the frat party, the decision that it was lame, Nick, his speech, his room, Chris and Dalton sharing, the apparition of the vomiting man?

10.  The further nightmares, Dalton continuing the painting, black, the figure as is father and the red door, the threats to Chris, her handling the situation, yet her fright, the issue of darkness and lights, danger under the bed? The buildup to the apparitions, sinister, the sinister score? Dalton saved by his father?

11.  A happy ending between Chris and Dalton? Happy reconciliation between Dalton and his father? With the whole family?

12.  The place of this film in the series, and Patrick Wilson directing?