Many expected that “The Nun II” would call back to either “The Conjuring” or “The Conjuring 2” — both of which directly and indirectly involve the demon nun Valak that haunts Lorraine Warren — but few could’ve known that such a reference would be as overt as it ultimately is in the spin-off/prequel film.
Chaves calls special attention to an early moment where young Sophie (Katelyn Rose Downey), a student at the French boarding school for girls where much of the film takes place and a frequent target of bullies, comes into uncomfortably close contact with the malevolent, nun-shaped figure that resides in the building. Upon being lured upstairs into opening a creepy-looking door, Sophie finds herself in another time and place altogether. Fans will immediately recognize this as the same hallway located in the Warren residence, with the demon Valak standing in the exact same place that Lorraine saw it in “The Conjuring 2.” This moment, which may as well have been pulled right out of “The Shining,” further draws connections between the new characters featured in “The Nun” movies and the Warrens. And since “The Nun II” takes place in the ’50s and “The Conjuring 2” in the ’70s, it seems the laws of time and space can get warped when demonic forces are at play.
The next reference is a little more oblique. According to Chaves, he intentionally framed a certain scene in “The Nun II” featuring Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) and Maurice (Jonas Bloquet), more affectionately known as Frenchie, as a “mirror image” evoking a similar moment between Lorraine and young Janet, the young girl portrayed by Madison Wolfe who Valak targets in “The Conjuring 2.” The director played coy on the exact details, so naturally, we can only encourage viewers to see if they can pick up on this parallel themselves. But in light of the parallels between Irene and Lorraine, it makes perfect thematic sense to juxtapose two of Valak’s most innocent victims in Janet and Maurice.
