Horror Movie Review: The Bad Nun (2018)

Questionable marketing aside (originally called The Watcher), The Bad Nun has many positives that makes it a worthwhile watch. It even has some moments that will chill as well as plenty that thrill.

Not at the start though as we meet Aesha (Becca Hirani), a girl who likes to party…hard. Worried about her future, her mother gets her to agree to go away for a few days to get prepared for college. Where? To a remote bed and breakfast. It’s a very odd setup.

Once there she discovers that the bed and breakfast was once a nunnery and before she can get too comfortable the owner asks her to look after his daughter for a few hours while he pops out. Aesha agrees seeing as the kid is asleep upstairs.

An easy and relaxing evening seems to be in store until there is a knock on the door.

This is where The Bad Nun really gets going. You see on the other side of the door is a softly spoken Nun who tries everything possible to try and gain entry without ever coming across sinister.

The more Aesha refuses, the more persuasive the nun becomes leading to a scene that will give many a fright. I’m not one to get creeped out but this scene sent a little chill down my spine. It’s really well done and sees the movie go head first into straight-up horror.

A film built heavily on suspense, it does so well up until the final 20-odd minutes where it slips into a tired and generic slasher style of horror. The reveal of the nun is pretty good but after that it’s all cat and mouse stuff that we’ve seen time and time again. It’s the only real flaw with what is a pretty good horror film. Both Becca Hirani and the actor who plays the nun (can’t say the name as it gives the game away) are great to watch and the supporting cast hold their own too.

It’s a shame, considering how much of The Bad Nun is enjoyable that they resorted to trying to cash in on the high-profile release of The Nun. This kind of marketing leaves a bad taste in the mouth and suggests that the film isn’t strong enough to stand on its own feet. A shame because it is. It’s an effective horror that understands how tension works and although it loses its way near the end, the final feeling is one of satisfaction.