“Cursing and smoking” ‘Dark Nuns’ Song Hye-kyo is now a goddess of ‘genre works’ rather than ‘melodramas’
Actress Song Hye-kyo, who said “I didn’t want to return to melodramas“, conveyed the full meaning of her words through the film “Dark Nuns”.
On Jan 20th, “Dark Nuns” was unveiled during a press and distributor preview. The film is a spin-off of the 2015 movie “The Priests”, depicting the story of people engaging in a forbidden ritual to save a boy possessed by a powerful evil spirit. Directed by Kwon Hyeok-jae, it delivers a fresh take on “K-occult” cinema.
“Dark Nuns” marks Song Hye-kyo’s return to the big screen after 11 years. She portrays Sister Junia, a character who is both bold and resolute. Song Hye-kyo brings a layered charisma to Junia, who appears cold on the surface but harbors a fiery heart. The character’s complex dimensions come alive through Song Hye-kyo’s performance.
Previously, Song Hye-kyo surprised viewers with her role in Netflix’s original series “The Glory“, where she played a school violence victim, marking a significant transformation in her acting. When it was revealed that she had chosen a genre piece instead of her familiar forte of melodramas, it caused quite a stir. Given the overwhelming success of “The Glory”, attention naturally turned to her next project. Once again defying expectations, Song Hye-kyo ventured into the occult genre with “Dark Nuns”. Explaining her decision, Song Hye-kyo said, “After ‘The Glory’, I didn’t want to return to love stories. I was reviewing scripts focused on genre works when I came across the script for ‘Dark Nuns’. While reading it, I felt it would be a challenging and difficult journey, but I thought I might discover new expressions of myself by taking on this project.” In this sense, “Dark Nuns” adds another significant milestone to Song Hye-kyo’s filmography.
Unlike her previous roles where she donned full makeup and beautiful outfits, Song Hye-kyo appears in “Dark Nuns” with no makeup and wearing a nun’s habit, offering an unfamiliar visual. The sharp curses she utters and the first-ever smoking scenes in her career belong entirely to Junia, not Song Hye-kyo. Over time, Song Hye-kyo has been erasing her former self, shedding her safe shell and embracing novelty.
Jeon Yeo-bin also delivers a standout performance as Michaela, a psychiatric resident nun. From her initial rebellion against Junia to her fierce determination to save Hee-joon, Jeon Yeo-bin deeply portrays her character’s transformation. Additionally, her strong bond with Song Hye-kyo’s Junia captures attention with its blood-deep “womance” chemistry.
“Dark Nuns” is enriched by the stellar performances of Song Hye-kyo, Jeon Yeo-bin and the synergy of the cast. As one of the first releases of 2025, the film is poised to hold special significance for audiences.
“Dark Nuns” will be released on Jan 24th.
