The Conjuring Universe of films spans several horror movies franchises, including The Nun and Annabelle. Here's what to know ahead of The Nun 2.
Ahead of seeing The Nun 2, viewers should rewatch a few key Conjuring Universe movies in order to understand the full scope of the franchise's overarching narrative. Before 2018's The Nun hit theatres, the James Wan-directed The Conjuring became the first installment in the now-popular supernatural horror cinematic universe. The inaugural Conjuring Universe film introduces audiences to Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), a husband and wife team of paranormal investigators who were involved in a significant number of high-profile, real-life hauntings.
In addition to the Conjuring films, it also boasts several movies that center on the haunted doll Annabelle, the standalone The Curse of La Llorona, and, of course, The Nun films. Despite there being two entries in The Nun series, the titular abbess makes their debut appearance in 2016's The Conjuring 2, another Wan-helmed film focusing on the characters of Ed and Lorraine Warren. One of the demon Valak's go-to avatars, the character receives an origin story of sorts in 2018's The Nun. Needless to say, there are several films in The Conjuring Universe that supply fragments of Valak's narrative, making a rewatch of a handful of the franchise's entries more crucial than ever.
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Set in the mid-70s, The Conjuring 2 centers on Ed and Lorraine Warren as they investigate one of their most notorious incidents: the allegedly demon-caused murders at the Amityville house. While the duo performs a séance, Lorraine, who has a strong connection to the supernatural, finds herself pulled into a vision, which recounts the murders. In said vision, Lorraine sees a demonic nun figure, making Valak's first Conjuring Universe appearance. To make matters worse, she also witnesses Ed's death, making her fearful that the nun figure will one day lead to her husband's end.
Meanwhile, in London, a young girl plays with a ouija board, leading to her demonic possession. While the ever-empathetic Warrens take on the case, Lorraine warns Ed about getting too involved as she fears the nun may be connected to the haunting. Soon enough, Lorraine encounters the demonic nun in her husband's study — a precursor of what's to come in the London-based case. That is, the nun is manipulating the demon that's by possessing the young girl, eager to break her will and consume her. To make matters worse, the nun is powerful enough to thwart Lorraine's precognitive abilities, making the demon the greatest threat the Warrens have ever faced.
During the film's climax, Lorraine starts to see the pieces of her vision of Ed's death come together. Knowing she must stop the nun figure, Lorraine searches her memory for anything helpful from her visions. Finally, she remembers that she scrawled the demon's name in her bible while in a trance; in the Conjuring Universe, knowing a demon's name gives one power over the being. After addressing the nun by the name Valak, Lorraine is able to condemn the creature to Hell, saving both the young girl and Ed. Undoubtedly, Valak is the breakout star of The Conjuring 2, which led the Conjuring movies and their spinoffs to feature the demon in more outings.
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
A prequel to 2014's Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation focuses on the titular doll's origins. After grieving doll-maker Samuel Mullins loses his young child in a tragic accident, he creates Annabelle, the porcelain toy who later becomes a conduit for a powerful, ill-intentioned demon. Years later, the Mullins couple takes in Sister Charlotte and several of her young wards after their orphanage closes down. While Samuel tells the girls to avoid his late daughter's room, that warning doesn't stick, leading to the girls' discovery of Annabelle and the terror-bent demon that calls her home.
At one point, Sister Charlotte shows her hosts a photograph from her time at a Romania-based Abbey. Behind Sister Charlotte and her fellow nuns, Valak looms; the young abbess tells Samuel she can't remember the sister's name. Even though Valak's on-screen appearance may be short-lived, the being is considered the overarching antagonist of Annabelle: Creation due to its abilities to master and guide other demons in their pursuits. The after-credits sequence of the film teases The Nun as it shows Valak haunting the halls of the Romanian monastery. Other than that, 2019's Annabelle Comes Home briefly shows a glimpse of Valak as part of a tangential exorcism plot line.
The Nun (2018)
A prequel to the rest of The Conjuring Universe films, The Nun appropriately delves into Valak's backstory and features the return of The Nun actor Bonnie Aarons. The movie also explores the history of the Romanian monastery, which, ironically, was built by a duke who was obsessed with Satanism. At one point the occult-loving duke tried to summon a demon from Hell — a.k.a. Valak. Although the rift was sealed, World War II-era bombings freed Valak from the monastery's catacombs, leading to the demon's dominance over the abbey.
The Sisters pray around the clock to banish Valak, but the faith-mocking demon persists, eventually killing most of the nuns. Although the young Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) manages to douse Valak with the Blood of Christ and re-seal the rift to Hell, the demon nun isn't fully defeated, leading to Valak's appearances in other Conjuring Universe movies. In The Nun 2, the latest of the franchise's entries, Valak haunts a French boarding school, eager to kill again.
The recommended viewing order begins with The Conjuring movies, followed by the Annabelle trilogy, The Curse of La Llorona, The Nun and its sequel, and finally the third Conjuring movie. This order provides the most enjoyable and comprehensive experience.
The recommended viewing order begins with The Conjuring movies, followed by the Annabelle trilogy, The Curse of La Llorona, The Nun and its sequel, and finally the third Conjuring movie. This order provides the most enjoyable and comprehensive experience.
In the last 10 years, nine of these movies have been pumped out—a pace that ensures they're bound to be somewhat formulaic. If you haven't seen the first movie, "The Nun," don't worry—there's an overly precise summary of those events orated early on in the sequel.
I know you're eager to watch The Conjuring, but if you want to fully understand the story, you'll have to start with its prequel. The Nun is set in 1950s Romania, long before the events of The Conjuring unfold.
The events in "The Nun 2" unfold four years after the original film, placing them in 1956. This situates The Nun 2 as the third movie in the Conjuring timeline. This sequel follows Annabelle: Creation, which occurs in 1955, creating a one-year gap within the franchise timeline.
I still only gave it a 9/10 - It would have to be some movie for a “Haunted House” story to get a 10/10 from me! Yes, you can. The conjuring 2 is based on another completely different case handled by Warren couple (Ed and Lorraine Warren). There is no connection to the story of the first movie.
The events in the three proper “Conjuring” films actually do occur in the order they were released, but the spinoffs and prequels, including “The Nun” and the “Annabelle” films, make the timeline much more complicated.
I must admit that I'm quite shocked but I thought the film was much better and much creepier than the first film. Director James Wan is really becoming an expert at these types of films and this here is certainly among the best that has been made.
The Nun movies are actually prequels to The Conjuring series. While The Nun and its sequel take part in the 1950s, The Conjuring is set in the 1970s. Valak torments a young nun throughout the series, and it's only when Lorraine encounters Valak two decades after that we see the demon defeated.
Most of the jump scares in “The Nun” were laughable and predictable. In “The Nun II” however, there are one or two that really make you jump. The use of CGI isn't too overt. Even when it is, it's hard to care because the visuals are so beautiful.
Super predictable jump scares, not nearly as scary as the other movies, it's so easy to tell when something scary is about to happen but when it does it's not even really scary. But I will say the acting is great and the story is told pretty well, this however has to be one of the most embellished of the movies yet.
The Conjuring 3 is a 15-rated film, which means nobody under 15 can watch the film in a cinema legally, with or without an adult. You may be getting confused with 12A films, such as Cruella, which anyone over 12 can see, but anyone under 12 must be accompanied by an adult to see. The Conjuring 3 is not a 12A.
The Nun explored the origins of Valak and introduced some great characters who will be returning for the sequel. Since The Nun II is directly connected with its predecessor due to a few of the same characters, it is important that you refresh your memory and know what exactly happened in The Nun.
The Nun 2 is a sequel to 2018's prequel movie The Nun, which went back to the 1950s to explore more of Valak's backstory. The Demon Nun returns for the sequel to once again encounter Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) and a new group of nuns.
The Nun movies are actually prequels to The Conjuring series. While The Nun and its sequel take part in the 1950s, The Conjuring is set in the 1970s. Valak torments a young nun throughout the series, and it's only when Lorraine encounters Valak two decades after that we see the demon defeated.
Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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