cover feature
The Nunw w w. s c i fi n ow.co.u kClockwise from far left: Father Burke (Demián
Bichir) faces the darkness, a dark presence
stalks Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga), Corin
Hardy directs Farmiga.024 |
else that’s not on the same plane, almost like
on a supernatural plane, which helps when
their characters need to do the same.”
Then, of course, there’s Valak. If there’s
one thing that modern horror cinema is short
on, it’s boogeymen (although Pennywise
has of course made a strong case for their
revival). Yes, there’s Annabelle, but this
creature is an entirely different creature;
a dangerous physical presence that goes
beyond a creepy paint-job and the blackest
doll’s eyes. Anyone who saw The Conjuring
2 is never going to forget that scene in
the study in which Valak tormented poor
Lorraine, and Hardy tells us that it was
essential that actor Bonnie Aarons return for
the character’s origin story.
“Yeah, I’m glad you asked,” he enthuses.
“I wasn’t familiar with her until I saw The
Conjuring 2. She stood out to be the scariest
thing so I was glad that she’s got her own
movie. And when I got the job the first
question I had was: ‘Who was it that played
the nun and is she available, can we make
sure we’ve got her?’ And then I realised that
she had played the tramp in David Lynch’s
Mulholland Drive as well which is probably
one of the other cinematic moments that’s
given me almost a heart attack in just the
two or three seconds that she’s on screen.
She’s not scary in person but she’s got a very
unique charisma and presence, and her face
is just very particular and she’s got these
very pale eyes.
“You know, as a fan of iconic horror
villains and iconic characters whether
they’re Freddy Krueger or Christopher Lee
playing a role or Bela Lugosi, you really
need these unique characters behind the
character. I felt like Bonnie was this type
of character actor who owned the character
straight away and I wouldn’t want to see
someone else playing that role. And also,
being that she’s a formidable female iconic
horror villain...or if you think that the
character’s female, that’s another question,
but ye a h.”
With a third Annabelle movie on the wayand a third Conjuring film essentially a given
(although almost certainly not directed by
James Wan), it’s clear that this universe is
not slowing down. The discussion of the
recent horror boom has mostly been focused
on IT and the Blumhouse films, but The
Conjuring has stood out since its debut,
connecting with audiences and critics alike.
“I think, ultimately, they’re character-
based journeys that people can identify
with,” Hardy tells us. “In the case of The
Conjuring 1 and 2 they’re based on true
accounts of the Warrens which I think
attracts people to the film, it feels like they
can take place. They cast great actors to
tell the story as well and James has made
them visually appealing. They’re kind of
classic old school stories. That’s what I liked
about them. The Nun is exploring a different
avenue but it’s a bit [of an] earlier period
and it has this adventure quality but in an
unfolding mystery.” Bring on the scares...The Nun is released on 7 September.