Dark Nuns (2025)

A Haunting Exorcism Tale with Soul, but Not Without Flaws

# Positive Aspects:
*Unique World-Building:* The film blends traditional Catholic exorcism elements with Korean shamanism and tarot, making it stand out from typical religious horror movies.
*Creepy Atmosphere:* The eerie cinematography, unsettling background music, and the slow-building dread are worth to be praised.
*Strong Performances:* Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-been’s acting was perfect, with both delivering intense and believable performances.

# Criticism:
- Weak Character Development
- The film’s early clues and hints were used too frequently in the climax, making the twists feel predictable rather than shocking.
- Sound Mixing Issues: Some crucial exorcism scenes had unclear or muffled dialogue, making it frustrating to follow.

# Overall Verdict:
"Dark Nuns" offers a fresh take on the exorcism genre with its mix of Korean and Western supernatural elements. While it succeeds in atmosphere and acting, it struggles with pacing and character depth. If you enjoy slow-burn horror with a strong thematic core, it’s worth a watch—but don’t expect constant scares or groundbreaking twists.

Leia Mais

In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to choose your line.

So much was happening, but also nothing was happening, and how is that even possible?

If we talk about the actual events, this is a 40 minutes movie at best. Exorcism, chat, death, chat, exorcism, chat, exorcism - more or less the plot. But if we take into consideration the topics introduced in said chats - that's a one semester lecture for you. Lack of faith in the men of faith. The misogyny in church and the lack of equality between men and women. Nuns doing tarot readings? Sure. Also power team of nuns and schaman doing exorcisms. I guess. Then we have illness, I guess shame, but that was no explained at all. One could say this was a women empowerment movie, but was it really? And then the whole final sequences, as beautiful as it was, it was also painfully dumb.

Even Song Hye Kyo was a hit or miss depending on the scene. Her nonchalant and confident scenes were great, but every time she tried to be more angry domineering and scream it just felt painfully flat. I feel like at least for some lines, if they switched her raised voice to really chilling whisper with the music going quiet, it would have far more impact.

Moon Woo Jin did amazing job holding back laughter, because that performance was just ridiculous. In a good way. It was exactly what the director and writer wanted, that's clear.

Lee Jin Wook was there, acted like an asshole. Was gone. He is not the main role, that I can tell you, and Jeon Yeo Been while definitely more prominent, had to somehow deliver character that brought nothing on the screen.

What's good? The movie was beautiful. Quite a few breathtaking scenes and good use of special effects.

Overall, pass - in both senses of the world. I'm not mad I watched it, it passed. But also, don't waste your time, pass.

Leia Mais

Not worth the time

I've not seen the priests. I purely watched this after seeing the trailer & amazing cast list but unfortunately, this did not reach my expectations.

I'm a huge fan of horror but this wasn't scary! - the bg music, effects & overall plot were just average & mostly predictable. there was nothing particularly special. the only reason i finished watching was because MWJ did a terrific job during his exorcism scenes, that kid has talent. he's in every drama for a reason.

overall i don't recommend. if you're looking for a worthwhile asian supernatural then go for the guest. that drama was 10/10

Leia Mais

Interesting plot

It is a horror masterpiece. The atmosphere of the film is incredibly dense, filled with meticulously built tension that envelops the viewer in a world of mystery and darkness. The performances of all the actors are outstanding—each one delivers powerfully, especially Sister Yunia, Sister Michaela, and the boy possessed by evil spirits.

The plot is complex and full of unexpected twists that keep the viewer on the edge of their seat. It’s a film that leaves a lasting impression and deserves to be watched more than once to catch all its nuances.

I really, really love Kyo as Sister Yunia. She made me so emotional—her character was brave and strong, and her fight with the devil was intense. Yeobeen gave her best, as always. Her emotional scenes were incredibly touching, and her character’s addiction to sweets was adorable and funny!

I also loved the banter between Sister Junia and Michaela. It was so chaotic! They share such a great bond, and there's no doubt that both are outstanding actresses.

Overall, I would highly recommend this film. The story is excellently paced, and the cinematography will awe you. It doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares, but instead builds an atmosphere that lets you explore human nature—and the horror that might be hidden within.

In one word: Masterpiece.

Leia Mais

Clueless.

To be honest, I didn’t watch it with a lot of expectations, and even with the little I had, it still managed to disappoint me. It’s a below-average movie that seems confused about what it wants to convey and where it wants to go. The execution felt all over the place, making it hard to stay engaged. I'm hugely disappointed in both the creators and the actors because, with the premise it had, there was potential to do something much better.

Some even compared it to Exhuma, but sorry to say, it doesn’t even hold 10% of that movie’s impact. It felt hollow and directionless.

This is my honest review after watching Dark Nuns.

Leia Mais

A Tedious Exorcism: The Missed Potential

One of the most glaring flaws of Dark Nuns is its excruciatingly slow pacing. The film drags on unnecessarily, with scenes that feel overly stretched and repetitive. For instance, it takes nearly two hours just to reveal the central character's name, a revelation that could have been handled much earlier without sacrificing any tension. This prolonged buildup makes the narrative feel tedious and tests the audience's patience.

Despite strong performances from the cast, the characters themselves are underdeveloped and lack depth. The film fails to provide meaningful backstories or motivations, leaving viewers disconnected from their struggles. This lack of investment in the characters undermines the emotional impact of the story, making it difficult to care about their fates.

The film heavily relies on early clues and hints, which are reused in the climax to deliver its twists. Unfortunately, this approach makes the revelations feel predictable rather than shocking. The overuse of foreshadowing strips away any sense of surprise, leaving the audience underwhelmed by what should have been pivotal moments.

While the film succeeds in creating a creepy atmosphere with its eerie cinematography and unsettling background music, it ultimately prioritizes style over substance. The slow-building dread, though effective initially, loses its impact due to the lack of a compelling narrative or well-rounded characters to anchor it.

Dark Nuns attempts to bring a fresh perspective to the exorcism genre by blending Korean shamanism and Catholic traditions, but its execution falls short. The film’s slow pacing, weak character development, predictable twists, and technical flaws overshadow its unique world-building and strong performances. While it may appeal to fans of slow-burn horror, the lack of scares and emotional depth makes it a frustrating watch for most.

NOTE: DONT WASTE YOUR TIME: YOU MAY FORWARD AT TIMES , AND YOU CAN STILL UNDERSTAND.

Leia Mais

this was ok, wasn't bored until maybe 10-20 mins before the end, it got kinda tedious waiting to hear the demons name. also don't get what the point of an exorcism & the finding out the name is, if what we end up with, is the demon transferring into the exorcist's body, same with all the relics (which got destroyed in the fire) so they not important & needed?!??

i saw The Priests ages ago - so long ago, that i don't recall exactly what went down - but as it was an exorcism themed movie, can guess at how things went. also if i really loved it & it was really good, would remember... so like this, am guessing that was also (just) ok.

impressed by Moon Woo Jin's acting (he played Choi Hui Jun) for a 16 yr old, he did one hell of a job. also liked Ae Dong, Hyo Won's disciple, there was an innocence & purity about him. so am really glad he wasn't sacrificed at the end. but other then that, felt like Song Hye Kyo usually just plays her reserved self. Jeon Yeo Been wasn't bad either, but i didn't get her back story or rather i wasn't that invested in it.

Lee Jin Wook like Kang Dong Won (suddenly popping up at the end) felt like such a hug miss. they just didn't have anything to do here& what they did, felt insufficient. like i said, this was ok as a one off.

Leia Mais

There will be a third installment

If you are fond of the horror mystery franchise, you won't be disappointed, but it will challenge you on the story
the story is a continuation of the first film The Priest and the 12th Deacon, this will challenge your belief and a grown a customed too, that there are people performing unofficial exorcism that some are undocumented because they are not the norm, they are called dark nuns, these are nuns authorized to perform the ritual unofficially if there is no exorcist available,
as long as the nun is chosen by faith, just like the priest, the priest is still not yet finished on his seminary but he was chosen.

Cast is powerhouse, but the cast full potential was not displayed , why it will overshadowed the story, story is simple, straight to the point, exorcise the 12 manifestation,

Music was ok, but at the climax part, the music starts to play and it helps a lot during the climax,

I will rewatch this again, because the movie screen is not good in where i watched it.
a definitely rewatch, song hye alone is a definite rewatch.

Leia Mais

The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.

The 2025 Korean supernatural film, «검은 수녀들» («Black Nuns»), is the sequel to the 2015 Korean supernatural movie, «검은 사제들» («Black Priests»). However, anyone who wants to start with the sequel has no need to watch the first as «검은 수녀들» («Black Nuns») is a standalone movie, and the two are almost identical in plots, twists, and execution.

NOTE: The things written below were made in comparison with the prequel «검은 사제들» («Black Priests»).

The Good:
1. They gave the demon more dialogue.
2. The things the demon said are more in line with what's in the Bible, and more direct.
3. They gave the possession more screen time.
4. Less on the supernatural and more on realism. (No silly roaches; no "the demon finally started to use its power after it was caught")
5. Handled well the issue of "medical vs religion" when it comes to demon possession.
6. Brought into focus how skeptics handle witnessing demon possession.
7. Balanced relationship between Roman Catholicism and Korea's Shamanism.

The Bad:
1. Many scenes were a repeat of the scenes in «검은 사제들» («Black Priests»). They could've thought of something more unique.
2. Some dialogues were the same from the prequel. It doesn't have to be the same simply to pay homage to the original. It can be something else altogether since the sequence were the same already, thus the audience already are already aware at that point.
3. They didn't provide a clear background story to the primary character just because she'll sacrifice herself in the end. They should've done so to make the audience attached to her character. Her sacrifice was shallow, "I don't have a choice, I'll die anyway, so I'll die on my own terms and not because of this cancer". Surely, there was a very deep story behind her quick decision to sacrifice herself, it wasn't just because the same demon killed her mother.
4. The secondary character, while she was given a clear background story, they did not give her much to do. She was just an extra. Less than an assistant. While her role was important in the exorcism process, the film itself did not give her justice. Since they planned to let her character survive and join with the Priest from «검은 사제들» («Black Priests»), they should've given her more things to do, say, and screentime.

The Ugly:
1. The ending city sequence was totally unnecessary, especially those rats. It was so weird especially since two streets across everything was business as usual, no rats, nothing unusual. The timing was also weird. They were somewhere on the outskirts of the city, and they had to drive back in the middle of the city to get to a church? It was probably a 30-minute drive. Even if there were no Roman Catholic churches near the hometown of the possessed kid, they didn't have to find a church right in the middle of the city. They even showed the city's skyline and established how the kid's home was not in the city proper.
2. Why did they use the Snake again but different name? It was already the Snake in «검은 사제들» («Black Priests») for one of the twelve major demons, and that one was defeated. The one in «검은 수녀들» («Black Nuns») should've been a different one. Are they all Snakes? Or, trying to avoid the Dragon? If they're not afraid in offending Roman Catholics, then they should not be afraid in offending those who worship the Dragon.

That's all.

Oh, bonus, the numbers the demon mentioned were not random. However, I'm not sure if the writers intended that or had no idea about it. 😝

Leia Mais

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

I saw many people disappointed in this movie, but I watched it carefully and with much interest. It reminds me of "Exhuma" for the atmosphere that continue to draw you in, with how the story progress and with many intriguing small details instead of jump scares. Some say that this movie is not very scary, and that is true, but that doesn't take away from the quality. The important thing is that it is authentic and engaging. Thy movie was indeed, no joke, and the stakes were higher then expected.

"Dark Nuns" continues pretty well where "The Priests" (2015) ended 10 years ago. It is also similar to that movie as it spends the most runtime on one specific exorcism. As a priest myself I had a lot of thoughts throughout the movie. Obviously, many things are problematic but it is understandable that in a horror fantasy movie they will use religious themes and symbols in an unreal inauthentic way (categorization of evil spirits, use of tarot cards, made-up relics, nuns authority, gallons of holy water, ...) On the other side, there are many positive elements. I liked the most that the movie highlights the power of prayer, and specifically united prayer, and that it also shows how Koreans fought evil spirits beside Christianity. Prayer is our strongest weapon against the attacks and temptations of Evil. There is indeed a lot to talk about this movie, but watch it first and we can continue talking later.

Leia Mais