Need some mercy? You will find nun at Horse Creek Correctional Facility. Sister Monday is here to prey on you…er….I mean pray for you. This sinister sister is here to bring people closer to God quite literally. Nun movies creep me out so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was some chuckles and an hour and fifteen minutes of entertainment. Though the film is packed with charismatic characters, a killer soundtrack, and an originally entertaining storyline, A Nun’s Curse wasn’t able to escape the curse of cheesy scenes and sequences. A Nun’s Curse, may not get two nuns up…but it’s still worth a watch.

The plot centers around four typical young-adult-horror-film archetypes as they road trip to a vacation cabin for the weekend. Gaby (Kristi Ray), the resident dumb blonde, Anthony (Damian Maffei), douche boyfriend supreme, Michael (Gunner Willis), nerdy sidekick friend who is secretly in love with our main character Ashley-Kae (Erika Edwards), tortured artsy girl with a dark past. At Ashley Kae’s request, these four unlikely travel companions find themselves making a pit stop at an abandoned church where Sister Monday (Felissa Rose), the subject of Ashley-Kae’s thesis, once was assigned. From there your typical barrage of misfortunes only found in horror films lead the gang to an abandoned prison where the infamous Sister Monday was rumored to have inflicted her own “justice” on the prisoners.

The actors in this film fit their respective roles brilliantly. Each of the four main characters is believable and even likable, despite some of their less-than-loveable demeanors. Gabby and Anthony provide a comforting atmosphere of obliviousness and rudeness that acts as comic relief and sets the stage for our nun who has made a “habit” out of killing. Erika Edwards does a fantastic job as Ashley-Kae. Obsession fueled by dark childhood memories is clear in Edward’s on-screen choices. But the favorite character award goes to Michael. Gunner Willis does an excellent job with the character and his quippy remarks and well-timed facial expressions make for constant entertainment from beginning to untimely end.

The best thing about A Nun’s Curse is the music and cinematography. The film is bookended by two very visually satisfying and creepy opening and closing credits sequences. In the center of these beguiling bookends, we see 75 minutes of great cinematography. Carefully chosen shots with beautiful lighting choices make it a work of art. Two shots, low angle shots, medium shots (among a large array of other types of cinematic choices) are appropriately placed and used in ways that enhance the unique storyline. The cinematography is second only to the music in the film. Screechy chords and unsettling tonal sounds create anxiety and little “internal scares” rather than rely on a ton of jump scares. I think this is an underutilized tool in the horror genre and it is well executed in this film.

A Nun’s Curse was both written and directed by Tommy Faircloth. The story is both original and classic. It combines typical elements of horror with some fresh takes and that produces a satisfying result. Faircloth delivers a twist ending that was quite unexpected. This unexpected surprise at first felt a little trite, but I quickly changed my mind. The twist ending creates closure and growth for our heroine, and it also leaves an opportunity for a memorable closing scene.

The film, while entertaining, is not without issue. Prior to the group making their way into the prison, they claim they must get out of the storm. Rain sounds are layered on top of dialogue but there is no sign of rain. In fact, it looked like a nice day outside. While a minor detail, it stuck out. There are also some cheesy moments in the film. For example, a climactic confrontation between Sister Monday and Ashley-Kae was anything but climactic. Unfortunately, frightening strength gave way to awkward dialogue, dampening what should have been one of the strongest moments in the film. Cheesy moments aren’t necessarily a bad thing (many wonderful horror movies have them) because I was entertained. But if laughing during all but one death was not the intent… I would call that an issue.

Perhaps the best and most relatable line in this film is during a flashback when young Ashley-Kae (played by Ashley-Kae Lucker) is being told a scary bedtime story about Sister Monday. Her father (Jason Vail) asks is she is scared to which little Ashley-Kae replies, “I am a little bit scared, but I like it”. That line sums up and explains why we love horror. From the safety of our homes, we can get a little rush from the fear…and we like it! Overall, the movie was decent. There were a few moments that made me jump, and a few more that made me laugh. A Nun’s Curse, I may not have been scared… but I still liked it.