Dark Nuns

Went in with somewhat higher expectation because having watched Korean series and movies since the 2000's, very familiar with the female lead Song Hye Kyo and that's also how long she has been in the industry. Have to say that Dark Nuns is only her second venture into darker roles, first one being The Glory. Because she is too pretty she had always been previously offered roles as well, a beautiful woman in melodramas. Not entirely her fault because actors often don't get cast for more gritty roles because they're "too beautiful/delicate".

Having said that, Dark Nuns makes me want to see The Priests (2015) and compare both to see how good was the source and how good the sequel fares.

The story is nothing new, two nuns this time instead of priests doing everything they can to save a possessed boy. In my opinion Song still seems too delicate for the role of an exorcist strong enough to hold down the possessed and her decades of good girl image doesn't help, but I think she has potential to someday be a badass character.

Visuals of the movie was fine but with mediocre CGI on one scene. Jeon Yeo Been shines brighter here than in Vincenzo. Just a bit bothered by the idea of "divine powers ultimate combo" to ward off the pesky demon. Doesn't work like that.

Overall a decent watch. Definitely watch it if you're a fan of SHK to encourage future grittier, bad girl role pick from her.

Finally a truly biased last part: giving an otherwise 7 star rating an extra 1 star to support the hallyu queen, and so happy to see Dark Nuns does well while Bogota, Loh Ki Wan and Hopeless flop miserably, ha! If you know, you know!

The three major reasons I watched this South Korean horror movie are that South Korea is one of my favourites countries for movies, that horror is one of my favourite genres, and that I never pay too much attention to negative reviews as most of the people are just never satisfied. The three reasons I should not have watched this movie are that not all South Korean movies are excellent, that possession movies have been done over and over again and even though you never know that you might stumble on a gem this one was not one of them, and that this time the negative reviewers were right. It's just a repetitive snooze fest, not enough action and apart from the actor playing the possessed the rest wasn't very convincing. It's been awhile since I watched a bad South Korean movie, hopefully the next one will be better again.

A daring blend of exorcism, shamanism, and tarot readings to save a teenager from a malevolent entity. This unconventional approach is incredibly bold and refreshing, creating a unique and captivating viewing experience.

The film had me completely hooked, from the start and especially the intense finale. The atmosphere made me anxious about what will happened. Prediction about the ending kept me on the edge of my seat.

Sister Yunia is such a charismatic character - a total badass. Her unwavering determination and selfless acts of courage are truly inspiring. The ending is one I won't forget.

I still can't get over "The Priests". It's my favorite exorcism film. The hopeful ending was a beautiful reminder of faith.

"The Dark Nuns", on the other hand, explores the deeper meaning of sacrifice and the strength found within oneself. It's a truly thought-provoking film that will stay with me for a long time.

I hope you'll be inspired to watch them!

I don't do horror movies but watched it because of Song Hye Kyo, glad it wasn't to scary. Acting was really good she stepped up her game from The Glory and that was a masterpiece. Cinematography was great story was straight forward tell you the truth I was nervous that I wasn't going to like it but it exceeded my expectations. Definitely Worth the watch. Her character was the best one in the movie and she stole every scene lol her acting was a 10 others I would rate a 7 not a fan of JYB I literally dropped everything she was in but surprisingly even though her character was annoying at first I started to like her in the end a little bit of an over actor but I liked watching them together. Ending was interesting once again it's worth the watch.

I've been waiting for Song Hye Kyo to take on another darker role after her performance in The Glory. Sadly Dark Nuns was probably not the right vehicle to show case her talent.

I enjoy slow paced films, however there has to be some sense that the plot is moving along, drawing you in and keeping you captivated. Korean horror is usually very good at this, for example the excellent Exhuma ( released last year) created a balance of intrigue and suspense that kept you glued to your seats for the whole time. Unfortunately Dark Nuns fails in this area and just becomes boring at the end.

The actors were not challenged enough by the script and direction so their talents were lost in the complicated mechanisms of the Catholic Church. I liked the idea of highlighting the nuns work in what has typically been an extremely male focused domain but without the tools to do this, the lead actresses floundered.

A missed opportunity for Song Hye Kyo to cement the next stage of career as there are only so many romantic/melo roles that she can do now, due to her age. She quickly needs to find something that stretches her talents to give her the gravitas she is seeking for the next part of her acting career.