In the first act of a film, something happens that disrupts the normal world of the protagonist. This is the inciting incident, which sets their story in motion. In The Nun (2018), Sister Irene (played by Taissa Farmiga) is the main protagonist, and the inciting incident occurs at the 10-minute mark when Father Burke (played by Demián Bichir) informs her that the Vatican wants her to go to Romania.
The two supporting characters in the film have their own inciting incidents. At the 5-minute mark, Frenchie (played by Jonas Bloquet) discovers the body of the nun who committed suicide. At the 7-minute mark, Father Burke meets with Vatican officials and is sent to investigate the nun’s suicide. Both plot points disrupt the normal world of the supporting characters and set their stories in motion.
Of the three inciting incidents, Frenchie’s is the most emotionally impacting. When he finds the body of the nun hanging from the abbey window, we experience horror. Frenchie’s inciting incident is what hooks the audience into watching the film.
Christopher John Lindsay 