This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Sandra Teles in a scene from "The Nun." (Martin Maguire/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

It’s almost fall which means it’s almost time for spooky season, spending nights and weekends binging on scary movies.

“The Nun” is the third spinoff based on James Wan’s successful franchise “The Conjuring,” following “Annabelle” and “Annabelle Creation.” The character The Nun first appears in “The Conjuring 2” and was one of the scariest things in the movie, so giving it its own film was a no brainer.

Rating: ** (out of 5 stars)

The film is set in 1952 Romania, where a nun commits suicide following an encounter with a demonic presence inside their convent. The locals fear the convent, which is surrounded by crosses which do not keep evil out, but instead, keep the evil inside.

The Vatican sends troubled priest, Father Burke (Demián Bichir) to investigate the convent to make sure the grounds are still holy. He is also requested to take Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga), a young nun that has not yet taken her vows, along with him. Sister Irene came to the church after having visions as a young girl.

The pair are escorted by farmer “Frenchie” (Jonas Bloquet), the man who found the body of the deceased nun, to the convent. There they discover that the place is haunted by a demon named Valak that entered the body of a nun to wreak havoc. Now they must find the clues and tools to free the cursed place from Valak’s demonic presence.

“The Nun” is directed by Colin Hardy, who is best known for his 2015 debut feature “The Hallow.” Hardy has made a great looking film but one that relies too heavily on jump scares instead of actual scares. Even the script, which was penned by “Annabelle” and “Annabelle Creation” scribe Gary Dauberman, is very weak. It’s filled with clunky dialogue.

Another major problem is that we spend almost no time with our villain. The titular Nun was absolutely terrifying in the brief moments it appeared in “The Conjuring 2,” and it seems to be taking a backseat in a film devoted to it.

Suspense works based on the fear of the unknown but most people seeing this film are already familiar with the character. Actually, seeing the Nun might help show why this character is so menacing.

“The Nun” continues the trend among “Conjuring” spinoffs of being nothing more than cash-ins on much better movies. I think the two “Conjuring” films are two of the better horror films released by major studios in the last few years. Everything spun off from them have been nothing but major letdowns.

If your idea of fun involves being shocked by loud noises, then you might enjoy this film. If you are looking for actual tension, you’ll find “Nun” here.