The Nun II has not been terribly well-received so far. It has its defenders, but the general consensus has been grim. We get it; Catholic trappings and jumpscares still work for many people, and you need something spooky to liven up date night or make your friends scream. If you’re looking for a supernatural horror film with a bit more to it, André Øvredal’s English-language debut, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, offers much of the same effect with some smarter writing behind it.
Do You Want To See a Dead Body?
Why does The Nun II‘s antagonist work as a horror film villain? Is there something implicitly terrifying about a lady of the cloth? You may argue so after Catholic school, but not necessarily. The titular nun, an avatar donned by a demon named Valak, is a simple, effective design. She almost always gazes directly into the camera as if peering into the viewer’s soul. Her eyes are sunken and often pinned wide open. What little can be seen of her skin is gray. Her habit disguises her body, but her bony cheeks and slender fingers suggest emaciation. She resembles a corpse, not a ghost or a zombie. All of The Nun II‘s worth as a horror film lives and dies on Valak’s impact. Remove the habit and enhance the corpse-y aspects, and you’ll get Jane Doe.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe is built around a very simple double-act. The act of cutting open a dead body is simultaneously grotesque and deeply intimate. It’s a necessary and nightmarish process performed by dedicated professionals. The film follows a father-son duo of small-town coroners who receive a beautiful young woman’s disinterred corpse and a mandate to find the cause of death by morning. Mysterious events follow as the body’s history becomes unpleasantly clear. Here, again, the horror is that of a dead body. Jane Doe isn’t standing around corners or leaping out of photographs. She’s just laying there on the table, exactly as one would expect. That’s somehow so much worse. Take the inherent unpleasantness of the setting and add a new supernatural horror. Church may be frightening for different reasons, but the idea stays sound.
Supernatural Horror Films As a Soap Box
The Nun II and The Autopsy of Jane Doe have a unique trait in common. They show their respective “monster” all the time. The more recent film does so because there’s no reason to tease an antagonist everyone’s already seen, plus they have a jumpscare quota to hit. Jane Doe is always in the frame because she’s a dead body. She’s not going anywhere. Their consistent presence tells two very different stories. Each encounter with Valak is a sustained silence followed by a loud noise. Sometimes, she pops out long fangs like Pennywise but spends most of her time grabbing and shouting. Jane is stationary, silent, and somehow omnipresent. She’s not going to hide or sneak up on you. She’s just there. Valak is repetitive, while Jane is consistent. It’s a distinction that makes a tremendous difference.
There are similar themes in these supernatural horror films. They aren’t identical, but you can find matching elements. At a 100-foot view, they’re about women and their relationship to religion. Valak takes the form of a nun as an insult to the faithful. Still, the idea of an evil nun who terrorizes ladies as they receive a Catholic education evokes clear semi-feminist questions. The Autopsy of Jane Doe has similar concerns, but its answers are even less pleasant. On some level, Jane Doe is the spiritual avenger of all women abused by the faith. The Nun II doesn’t offer anything so high-minded. In fact, it comes down to the side of religion more often than not. Their questions are similar, but their answers are very different.
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Does The Nun II Have a Post-Credits Scene?
If you think all a horror movie needs is a strong visual and some jumpscares, The Nun II might be the perfect film. Conversely, if you want something a little more atmospheric, intelligent, and layered, The Autopsy of Jane Doe will be perfect. It addresses similar themes and plays with similar scares, showing off just a bit of what a proper presentation can offer. If you didn’t get enough off your chest at the confessionals, try the coroners.
