During this spooky season, I’ve watched a surprising amount of nun-related scary movies. I’m not really sure why that is, it’s not like it’s a sub-genre that I’m particularly interested in. It just seems that every time I bring up Netflix or Hulu the algorithm wants me to watch yet another movie about a young nun in a secluded convent who uncovers an evil plot by some bad guys.
I’ll put these in order from best to worst.
The First Omen (2024)
A young American novice is sent to a convent in Italy and uncovers a conspiracy to keep the church relevant in an increasingly secular world. I really liked this movie, especially that it doesn’t rely on jump scares to create tension. Instead, this slow burn builds up to a scene so grotesque it had to be resubmitted to the censors 4 times in order to get an R rating.
Rating: 8.5/10
Immaculate (2024)
Going in to this movie I had only ever seen Sydney Sweeney in The Handmaid’s Tale, but I had the impression she was more of a rom-com actress. She does really well in this movie playing a young nun who finds herself pregnant despite being a virgin. The story shares some similarities with The First Omen, but it comes at the idea from a different perspective, and ultimately isn’t quite as good.
Rating: 7/10
The Nun (2018) & The Nun 2 (2023)
We’ve now moved beyond films with good acting, great atmosphere, and a rising tension. The Nun films are all about jump scares, big action set pieces, and scripts that don’t get in the way. That said, I do think these movies are OK if you want a nice scary movie with very few offensive elements. These entries in the Conjuring cinematic universe are the kind of movies you might watch with your kids or conservative parents.
Rating: 5/10
Deliver Us (2023)
This is an odd film. It’s American, but takes place in Russia with an international cast, and has the feel of a Syfy channel original. Like Immaculate, it’s about a nun who finds herself pregnant, but that’s where the similarities end. Instead of sticking to Catholic dogma, it veers off into supposed Zoroastrian prophecies with a dash of DaVinci Code conspiracy. Not bad if you need something weird to watch on a Saturday afternoon.
Rating: 5/10
Consecration (2023)
Jenna Malone single-handedly holds up this mess of a movie. She plays a doctor who goes to remote convent to investigate the death of her priest brother. There, she discovers a world of Templar relics, demons, and really mean old women. Nothing is really scary, more just moody, indy atmosphere. The ending has a twist that you can see coming very early on.
Rating: 3/10
Honorable Mention: The Wonder (2022)
I don’t know if this really counts as it’s not really horror, there is no convent is involved, and really only a side character is a nun, but I love this movie. It’s so moody, so well acted, so slow, and so, so good.
Rating: 9/10