Saw X & Nun II

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5)

Short Take: The phrase comes from the film industry, initially, and it means a short bit of recording or “something that only takes a short time,” especially if a more extended version may be done later.

Scary Short Take reviews: Short review of a horror film with potential discussion points

Saw X

Synopsis: Set between the Saw and Saw 2 films, the back-and-forth non-linear nature of 'this latest chapter will continue to challenge viewers, much like the previous nine films in the franchise. Having established that Kramer is Jigsaw, his feeble and infirmed body is merely a shell for an astute, calculating, and twisted mind. Diagnosed with late-stage brain cancer with months to live, a desperate John Kramer, aka 'Jigsaw' (Tobin Bell), becomes hopeful when one of his fellow cancer support members overcomes his terminal pancreatic cancer illness. Based on his recommendation, Kramer goes to Mexico to undergo an unorthodox and unapproved treatment designed by a Norwegian scientist in a program run by his daughter, Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund). Heartbroken with his diagnoses, the desperate man is enraged that Cecilia has defrauded 34 cancer patients at $8M, all of whom later died. Jigsaw is not interested in killing his victims; he sees them enduring physical punishment as penance for an unpunished misdeed or crime. If they survive his task, he will seek or provide the medical attention they need.

Review: The film definitely sits in the top three of the franchise and introduces Amanda Young for the first time as Jigsaw's initial apprentice. Amanda was a drug addict who had achieved the penance required from Kramer to be 'absolved.' This tenth chapter in this franchise is as gruesome as its predecessors. The fallibilities of the two protagonists, John and Amanda, particularly her struggle to participate, give the film and franchise a solid future context.

Nun II

Summary: Beginning with the horrific burning death of a French priest in his church in Tarascon, a series of murders with Catholic clergy as the victims follow a path across Europe to Romania. With concerns from the Vatican about the return of Valak (Bonnie Aarons), the demon who manifests as a nun, Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga), a survivor of the last attack, is begrudgingly dispatched to battle this being again. Assisted by a novitiate nun who disbelieves in miracles and questions her own faith, Sister Debra (Storm Reid), can the pair overpower the demon as it seeks an ancient relic to enhance its strength?

Review: The sequel is a significant step up from the original, which, despite giving context to the origination of Valak, had too many unnecessary jump-scares. With the absence of Father Burke In this storyline, Sister Irene can prove that she's as formidable an opponent to this villainous nun as what was credited to Father Burke. The casting of Taissa Farmiga as Sister Irene is a fantastic choice, as it helps to establish credibility in the link between Sister Irene and Valak in 'The Conjuring 2.' Importantly, the fact that the demon is now polymorphic illustrates an evolution in both the writing and the demon's depiction, elevating the Nun's role to be more like Stephen King's IT.

Reel Dialogue: Ghosts and the spiritual realm

As we head into the horrific season of Halloween and all the films that come with it. The question must be asked if you believe in ghosts?

It is the question at the heart of the belief system of the Conjuring franchise and one that people have been trying to answer throughout the ages. Discussions centering on the spiritual realm is a topic that is something that everyone must address at different times in their lives.

From the beginning to the end of the Bible, God gives answers to the notion of the celestial beings on the side of good and bad. Angels, demons and the Holy Spirit (or by another name, The Holy Ghost) provide an alternative view to much of Hollywood’s expression of spirits, but the films of this season should challenge us all to search for the answer.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:12