Is Dark Nuns woke?
Movie · 2025 · Original title: Geomeun sunyeodeul
Dark Nuns has a wokeness score of 7/10, which we rate as Strongly Ideological. Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.
Key points
- Female nuns defy male Church hierarchy to perform exorcisms forbidden to women.
- Story frames conflict as women battling institutional sexism and patriarchal control.
- Nuns challenge male priests' authority, emphasizing female empowerment in spiritual roles.
Wokeness analysis
Dark Nuns centers two female nuns as the protagonists who defy the male-dominated Catholic Church hierarchy to perform a forbidden exorcism, framing their rebellion against patriarchal religious structures as central to the narrative. Reviews explicitly describe the film as advancing a feminist agenda by portraying the nuns battling institutional sexism, centuries of patriarchal oversight in both religious and medical realms, and gender inequality in exorcism rituals traditionally reserved for ordained priests. The story incorporates elements like a shaman (female) assisting the nuns, tarot mysticism, and critiques of male authority figures who dismiss the women's capabilities or favor scientific/medical approaches over spiritual ones led by women. While the core plot involves supernatural horror and possession, the institutional tension and character arcs are shaped around women challenging male gatekeepers and proving their worth in a male-only domain. Some reviews note misogynistic language in the script (e.g., references to 'rotten uterus' or 'prostitute'), but the overarching message positions the female leads as empowered agents defying tradition. This intentional focus on gender dynamics and defiance of patriarchal norms elevates the ideological messaging above pure escapism or story, making it heavily ideological though not fully didactic. The blend with Korean shamanism adds cultural layers but does not dilute the progressive commentary on female agency in religious spaces.
Plot
Dark Nuns (also known as The Priests 2: Dark Nuns) is a 2025 South Korean supernatural thriller and spin-off to the 2015 film The Priests. Directed by Kwon Hyeok-jae, it stars Song Hye-kyo as Sister Junia (or Giunia/Yunia), a determined nun experienced in spiritual crises, and Jeon Yeo-been as Sister Michaela (or Michela/Mikaela), who joins her. A young boy, Hee-joon, is possessed by a powerful evil spirit (Gamigin, one of 12 manifestations). The Catholic Church delays intervention, and Father Paolo, a priest-psychiatrist, insists on medical treatment for what he sees as a psychological issue. With time running out and traditional priests unavailable, the two nuns take it upon themselves to perform a dangerous, forbidden exorcism ritual in violation of Church rules, risking their souls. They enlist a shaman and confront personal doubts, guilt, faith limits, and escalating demonic violence, culminating in sacrifice and redemption themes. The film blends Catholic exorcism with Korean shamanism and tarot elements.
Analyzed by AI on September 5, 2026