A young boy, Hee-Joon, is possessed by an evil spirit. Nun Yunia tries to save him, assisted by Nun Mikaela. Priest Paul attempts medical treatment, while Priest Andrew performs an exorcism to rid Hee-Joon of the spirit.
“Dark Nuns,” the uninspired sequel to 2015’s “The Priests,” feels more like a contractual obligation than a cinematic exorcism. Once again, we’re subjected to the same old song and dance: a demon-possessed child (this time, a young man), rogue nuns defying the Church, and a climax that’s just an endurance test of screaming and convulsions. The only thing more predictable than the plot is the inevitable third-act CGI vomit.
Nuns Sister Giunia (Song Hye-ko) and Sister Michela (Jeon Yeo-been) take over for the Priests as the new holy demon-busters, but their characters remain as shallow as a holy water font. The film lazily name-drops “The Priests” Father Kim and Father Choi (now conveniently exiled to Rome) to maintain franchise continuity, yet offers nothing fresh, just reheated leftovers from the first film.
The blending of Rosicrucian mysticism and Korean shamanism could have been fascinating, but here, it’s as thrilling as a Sunday sermon. Compare this to “Exhuma” (2024), where occult rituals felt genuinely perilous, and “Dark Nuns” pales in comparison – both in terror and creativity. Even the camerawork and editing, while technically improved, can’t salvage a script this lifeless.
The real sin here isn’t the possession, it’s the wasted potential. Why not explore the tension between these nuns and the patriarchal Church? Or the contradictions between Catholicism and shamanism? Hell, a forbidden romance between the two leads could’ve at least added some Verhoeven-esque subversion. Instead, we get a carbon copy of the first film, proving that the film industry’s real demon is its addiction to lazy sequels.
Do yourself a favor, skip this exorcism re-run. If the film industry keeps churning out soulless retreads like this, maybe it is the one that needs an exorcism.
Available on Digital, and on Blu-ray™ and DVD exclusively through Amazon on July 15th
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