When it comes to horror movies, there has been a lot of rubbish on the market in recent years. Gratuitous blood and guts, weak story lines and cringe worthy acting…Luckily, The Conjuring 2 managed to not only be none of these things but it also avoided the “Sequel Curse” by a long shot.
James Wan returns at his best with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga restoring their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren. The real-life Warren’s were demonologists who dealt with over 10,000 paranormal cases in their career, which just makes The Conjuring films even more disturbing.
But what made The Conjuring 2 so great was the effortless chemistry between Wilson and Farmiga. Their relationship captured the hearts of fans the first time round and is what anchors the story in a way that makes it moving as well as terrifying. Not many horrors manage to achieve that.
After being called to London to investigate paranormal activity in the home of a single mother and her four children, particularly her youngest daughter, the Warren’s embark on a journey of disturbing encounters with the demonic. When these entities threaten their lives, the couple must risk everything to save the family and each other.
The Conjuring 2 had enough seat-jumping scares to rattle even the most hardcore of horror fans, yet was balanced well with some genuinely touching moments and a well-layered plot.
Being set in a haunted house with a young girl as one of the leading characters, some might say it was destined for cliches, but this was more of a case of a traditional horror setting done right.
The Enfield haunting on which The Conjuring 2 is based was one of the most documented of the Warrens’ cases and the film begins with Lorraine Warren confirming the demonic motivations of the Amityville horror through an outer body experience. Her encounter with a demon nun and Patrick’s subsequent dream visions tie them to the story in London, and it’s from here that they attempt to expel the spirit of a bitter old man from the youngest daughter, Janet.
Their investigations also bring them into contact with the creepy Crooked Man, plenty of upside down crosses and major poltergeist-flinging-furniture drama that will have you nail-biting in your seat.
The ending promises another spine-tingling climax of demonic proportions…it’ll be a while before you can get the image of a satanic screaming nun out of your head.
With Wan’s previous successes such as “The Omen” and “Poltergeist”, The Conjuring 2 had a lot to live up to. But with his cinematic experience, Farmiga and Wilson’s notable acting relationship and enough scares to keep you yelping throughout, it’s a sequel worth seeing.
Watch The Conjuring 2 in UK cinemas from June 17 and check out www.moviehouse.co.uk for ticket information.