The Big Picture
- The Nun II is a significant improvement on the first film and feels more like a part of the Conjuring franchise that fans love.
- Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren are likely direct descendants of Saint Lucy, and their link is explored through a powerful showdown with Valak.
- The mid-credits scene in The Nun II suggests that Lorraine's connection with Valak is far from over, hinting at a potential final showdown in The Last Rites.
When the Conjuring Universe's first terrifying installment premiered in theaters a decade ago, it was hailed by critics and fans alike as a breath of fresh air in the paranormal horror subgenre. With a modest budget of just $20 million, The Conjuring went on to gross an impressive total of over $300 million worldwide in 2013. It should come as no surprise, then, that the franchise has gone on to break records, becoming the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time. The main universe currently sits at three installments and depicts the most popular case files of real-life paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga). In 2014, one of the Warrens' haunted artifacts, Annabelle the Doll, led the franchise's first spin-off. Then fan favorite demonic nun Valak (Bonnie Aarons), followed in her footsteps in 2018 with The Nun.
It's fair to say The Nun II is a massive improvement on the first Valak-led Nun movie, mainly because it feels like less of a spin-off and more a part of the franchise — and the characters — we know and love. Set in 1956, four years after the events of The Nun, The Nun II sees Sister Irene face down the terrifying Valak once more. To the delight of fans, The Nun II's director Michael Chaves decided to explore a potential connection between Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren. In an exclusive interview with Collider's Perri Nemiroff, Chaves teased that he'd included a couple of "very explicit" hints that "would potentially reveal [the connection] if you looked carefully." Now that The Nun II is available to stream on Max, more of you may have some questions following the movie's finale and end-credits scene. Here are all the unanswered questions The Nun II leaves us with.
The Nun II
The sequel to the worldwide smash hit follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face to face with Valak, the demon nun.
- Release Date
- September 8, 2023
- Director
- Michael Chaves
- Cast
- Storm Reid , Anna Popplewell , Bonnie Aarons , Taissa Farmiga , Jonas Bloquet
- Main Genre
- Horror
Who Is Saint Lucy In 'The Nun II'?
Like the majority of storylines and religious figures in the Conjuring Universe, the legend of Saint Lucy is based on real events: The tragic and gruesome story of a Roman Christian martyr who died for her faith in approximately 304. In The Nun II, Sister Irene meets with a librarian at the Palais des Papes, who explains that Saint Lucy's eyes were gouged out before her brutal execution. Saint Lucy's family are said to have recovered her eyes, which are now regarded as a powerful holy relic, and hidden them away at the boarding school Sister Irene is currently investigating. The librarian tells Sister Irene that Valak, a fallen angel turned demon, is drawn to Saint Lucy's descendants because it seeks the powerful relic. Interestingly, the librarian also recounts a story of Saint Lucy being set on fire, but miraculously not burning despite the flames. Sound familiar? Don't worry, we'll get to that.
Some Catholic stories claim that Saint Lucy could foresee things that were yet to come in visions thought to be sent from God. In The Conjuring 2, when Lorraine first encounters Valak and sees a vision of Ed's death, he comforts her with the knowledge that they both know her premonitions are from God and that she has been given the power to prevent the events depicted in them from happening. This chilling introduction to Saint Lucy and her other-worldly abilities firmly cement the idea that Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren, wielders of their own impressive and similar skills, could be her direct descendants.
How Is Lorraine Warren Connected to Sister Irene?
Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren are likely the direct descendants of Saint Lucy, meaning they share a familial link, however tenuous that might be. Of course, Saint Lucy could have hundreds, if not thousands, of distant living relatives spread across the globe. However, an epic showdown between Sister Irene and Valak towards the end of The Nun II shows us that Irene's link to Lorraine Warren might be a lot closer than initially expected.
During the aforementioned scene, Sister Irene has a future vision while levitating in the air as Valak engulfs her in flames. In her premonition, Sister Irene briefly sees Lorraine, which gives her the strength she needs to hold her own against Valak. Digging deep and harnessing her familial power for the first time in her life, Sister Irene does not burn despite the encroaching flames — like Saint Lucy hundreds of years before her.
The significance of Sister Irene seeing Lorraine has not been lost on the audience, with theories circulating from the bizarre to the probable and everything in between. One theory is that Sister Irene and Lorraine are the same person, and another is that they're mother and daughter — which seems highly unlikely as Sister Irene is a Catholic nun. They're probably more than distant relatives; we're currently leaning toward aunt and niece.
What Did Sophie's Vision Mean In 'The Nun II'?
Sister Irene isn't the only one plagued by premonitions at the boarding school in The Nun II. Young student Sophie (Katelyn Rose Downey) is shown experiencing a flash-forward vision relating to the Warrens — in a scene very familiar to the seasoned Conjuring fan.
Whilst being tormented by Valak, Sophie finds herself isolated in the halls of the school. In a hair-raising pursuit, she sees an apparition of Valak on the wall. As she watches, horrified, the wall is replaced by a corridor featuring a menacing Valak standing at the end of it. For those that might've missed it, the corridor Sophie sees is in the Warrens' home halfway across the world in America — and most importantly, 20 years into the future. In The Conjuring 2, set in 1977, Lorraine Warren has the same vision of Valak roaming the hallway of her home.
Of course, this vision could point to Sophie also being a descendant of Saint Lucy, or, more likely, it could hint at Valak having the ability to effortlessly cross timelines. This newly revealed ability could make for some interesting scenes in The Conjuring: The Last Rites.
What Does 'The Nun II' Mid-Credits Scene Tease for the Future?
The Nun II features a surprise, albeit brief, mid-credits scene. Vera Farmiga is back, this time with her right-hand man, Patrick Wilson, by her side. The two appear in a short sequence that has since been revealed to be a deleted scene from The Devil Made Me Do It. Ed and Lorraine are shown answering a phone call from Father Gordon (Steve Coulter) regarding their next case. While one might think this scene is simply a confirmation that The Last Rites will pull the focus back to the Warrens, placing it in The Nun II could also hint that their dealings with Valak are far from over. Now that Lorraine's connection to Valak has been further explained, it's entirely possible The Last Rites will see the ultimate final showdown between Valak and Lorraine.
The Nun II is available to stream on Max.
