Originally published at NOFSPodcast.com

After The Nun (2018) trailer was banned from the internet for being too scary our interest was peaked. But could this Conjuring prequel be scary enough to peak our subject’s heart-rate? We decided to take our equipment into the theater to find out.

Test Subject: Jax

Age : 35

Gender: Female

Fears: Ghosts

Resting HR: 65 bpm

Walking HR: 75-80 bpm

ANALYSIS:

Our subject went into the theater having high expectations from The Nun’s terrifying trailer. This anticipation can be seen within the first few minutes from an impressive opening scene. After a ten minute lag in backstory the film took it’s grip. A heightened sense of unease throughout the middle of the film was enough to keep our subject’s heart racing above 80bpm. However, as moving shadows appeared too often, the spikes became less notable. Stress levels tended to even out as the main evil began to take center stage. One final jump scare was able to pierce the 90bpm mark but ultimately plummeted to a flat finale.

CONCLUSION:

This was one of the most consistent charts we have seen to date. The film kept it’s creepy atmosphere, hooded phantoms and jump scares rolling without too many lulls. The Nun‘s scares were effective but only when used sparingly. And even though the scares became predictable, the anticipation of wondering what’s going to happen next still lingered.

While The Nun didn’t reach the high levels of other films we have monitored, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You can rest easy when attending church on a FearScale diet because watching The Nun burns an average of 223 Calories. Compare this to two glasses of communion wine which packs your soul with 220 Calories.

The Nun: Burns an average of 223 Calories

Two Glasses of Communion Wine: 220 Calories

How many Fear Calories did you burn watching The Nun? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook