Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta 사요한
March 12, 2025
6
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»).
**¡SPOILER ALERT!**
## 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. 😝
"Dark Nuns" is a slow burn, demonic horror, thriller.
What works well in this film is the notion of taking on, what increasingly, looks like, insurmountable odds. This is no ordinary possession, its a Duke of hell, one of Satan's most powerful generals. You get a real sense of the threat and dread presented by this powerful, timeless, evil spirit though its dialogue and its manipulation of people and the environment. Its not to be trifled with.
The concept of two nuns exorcising the heavy duty supernatural baddie as opposed to a priest, is novel too. Its cleverly handled, turning it into a macabre, almost maternal, drama.
What does not work so well the over long length, populated with drawn out asides and sub plots.These unnecessary distractions, water down the films key focus.
In summary, "Dark Nuns" would have worked considerably better if it had adhered more closely to its core story and not wandered off script, so to speak. Worth a look but still less than it could have been.
We jumped right into a possession case, and it looked like the first team was in trouble and needed some serious help. Its the same old story, and the men can't see a woman's true worth simply because of her gender and at the folly of their ignorance.
There is something to be said of the way in which the storytelling is done in Korean films, and especially when battling the forces of evil, their faith feels so powerful and absolute that it's palpable.
