‘Dark Nuns’ REVIEW: Going Against the Drain; Unfulfilling Expectations
‘Dark Nuns’ REVIEW: Going Against the Drain; Unfulfilling Expectations
Sister Michaela and Sister Yunia in Dark Nuns | Taken from Zip Cinema
Kwon Hyeok-jae’s Dark Nuns, a sequel to the 2015 film The Priests, dares to challenge the norms of exorcism movies. Instead of relying on the usual barrage of jump scares and gore, it focuses on storytelling, faith, and personal struggle. As a huge fan of the horror genre this approach is refreshing, however, it proves to be a double-edged sword—delivering subverting expections but ultimately leaving horror enthusiasts unsatisfied.
Set in the same universe as The Priests, the film shifts focus from priests to nuns, continuing the exploration of exorcism within the Catholic Church. Unlike its predecessor, which followed a priest and a deacon performing an exorcism, Dark Nuns presents a different perspective by introducing a nun who challenges religious conventions.
Song Hye-Kyo as Sister Yunia in Dark Nuns | Taken from Zip Cinema
At the heart of the story is Sister Yunia, played by Song Hye-Kyo, an unconventional nun who smokes, curses, and refuses to conform to tradition. Tasked with saving a possessed boy, Hee-joon (Moon Woo-jin), she embarks on a dangerous journey alongside Sister Michaela (Jeon Yeo-been), a more reserved but equally determined companion.
Their clash with Father Paolo (Lee Jin-wook), a priest and doctor who believes in medical intervention over exorcism, adds layers to the film’s central conflict: faith versus science. While Sister Yunia is driven by her instincts and unwavering belief in the supernatural, Father Paolo embodies the argument that demonic possession may be nothing more than severe mental illness, a perspective that directly challenges Yunia’s conviction.
A major theme of the film is Sister Yunia’s defiance of the church’s bureaucracy, which prioritizes tradition over the life of the possessed boy. Instead of waiting for approval from the higher-ups—who are more concerned with following protocol than taking immediate action—she takes matters into her own hands, risking everything to perform the exorcism herself. This rebellious act highlights the film’s deeper critique of institutionalized religion and its rigid constraints.
While Dark Nuns excels in its technical aspects, with striking cinematography and performances, with Moon Woo-jin as the possessed child deserving of a special mention, its pacing is one of its biggest flaws. The buildup to the actual exorcism drags on for far too long, making the film feel more tedious than suspenseful. What could have been a gripping lead-up to the climax instead becomes a slow burn that tests the audience’s patience. By the time the exorcism finally happens, much of the tension has already fizzled out.
Sister Michaela and Sister Yunia take Hee-joon to a shaman | Taken from Zip Cinema
One of the film’s most intriguing aspects is its exploration of Catholicism and Korean Shamanism to approach a possessed child—two spiritual practices rarely merged in mainstream horror. While this premise had the potential to add depth, its execution felt superficial. It attempts to draw parallels between these belief systems, portraying them as different paths toward the same goal: delivering a soul from possession.
Catholicism is represented through the structured, hierarchical system of the Church, which insists on rigid protocols before performing an exorcism. Korean Shamanism, on the other hand, embraces a more instinctive and personal connection with the spirit world, relying on rituals that blend mysticism and tradition. By intertwining these two approaches, Dark Nuns had the potential to present a compelling discourse on how different cultures perceive and combat supernatural forces. Yet, instead of fully exploring this critique, the film merely skims the surface, failing to challenge or expand upon these ideas in a meaningful way.
Despite its thought-provoking themes, Dark Nuns ultimately lacks the core element of horror: fear. By steering away from traditional horror tricks and avoiding cheap jump scares, the film loses the sense of urgency and terror that make exorcism films so gripping. What remains is a supernatural drama that, while visually stunning, struggles to maintain suspense.
While Dark Nuns is a bold experiment with strong performances and a unique take on exorcism, its sluggish pacing and lack of true horror hold it back from being a truly compelling experience. It is an ambitious film that dares to break conventions, but in doing so, it may have failed the expectations of the very audience it seeks to engage.
