The Conjuring 2 Review

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that a good horror film these days is rare, whether that’s because people just don’t scare easily anymore or because most horror films are complete rubbish, lacking in both atmosphere and execution. But in more recent years, the likes of Sinister, The Purge, Insidious and It Follows (all thanks to Blumhouse Productions, with the exception of the latter), with five sequels collectively, have started to drastically change the landscape of horror, returning it to its rightful place. 

The original Conjuring movie was a decent attempt yet somewhat forgettable in the shadow of the superior Insidious, and its underwhelming prequel, Annabelle, was a film we’d rather forget altogether. But The Conjuring 2 sees the return of director James Wan (also responsible for the first two Insidious chapters), who, we now realise has a talent for knowing what keeps us awake in a cold sweat at night. 

This time around, the film is so close in tone, style and atmosphere to its cinematic cousin than its own predecessor was that it could be easily set in the same film universe, if not for the fact that it stars Insidious’ Patrick Wilson as one of the lead protagonists, Ed Warren. It’s a neat thought, but with memories of Freddy V Jason far too fresh, let’s leave cinematic crossovers to those experts at Marvel, far away from the horror genre.

She's behind you! Nothing like a bit of panto to calm the nerves.

The film opens with a disturbing re-cap (through the eyes of Vera Farmiga’s spiritual medium, Lorraine Warren) of the infamous “Amityville Horror”, but winds up centring on our very own, home-grown horror story, the “Enfield Haunting”. But this familiar tale is not without a few terrifying twists, as James Wan does what he does best and offers layers to the world of the dead by creating a sort of “hierarchy” that sees ghosts and spirits as the lesser of two evils (literally) where demonic entities are concerned. 

Through its atmosphere, it mirrors Insidious so closely it’s hard not to feel a sense of unease. There are the familiar haunting violin-driven scores, the almost inescapable claustrophobic setting where the only way out is usually the next room or under your bed sheets, the smart use of the camera by teasing vague shots of figures in the background, and more memorably, one of its main antagonists in the form of a nightmarish, demonic-faced nun who resembles the terrifying “Bride” from Insidious Parts 1 and 2. 

The Conjuring 2 is not without fault and is far from perfect. Its own take on a well-known British ghost story may leave you feeling somewhat cheated and like the filmmakers couldn’t help but “Americanise” the case a little during the third act, but if you want to feel terrified of being in your own home for a few days after viewing, then you’ve come to the right place. One thing’s for sure: you won’t ever look at nuns or zoetropes in the same way again.