Review of The Conjuring 2 (2016) by Spangle — 05 Sep 2016
The rare actually good horror sequel, The Conjuring 2 serves as yet another example of how James Wan is able to balance good, quality, and well-earned scares with a solid story that keeps you engrossed even when the scary bits take a bit of a break.
As with the original, The Conjuring 2 has a lot going for it. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have terrific chemistry and make for a truly believable married couple who happen to fight demonic presences in homes.
Plus, this new story - particularly the nun - made me produce more than a few bricks out of fear. The slow introduction of the presence and then the rising actions of its presence is great. The film is willing to build tension in a horror movie sense while then balancing it with the tension of whether or not everyone will believe the family.
Most horror movies just want to skip into everything and just assumes everyone believes in ghosts. However, Wan knows he has skeptics in the crowd and must prove his case in order to scare them as well.
This said, there is one major problem with The Conjuring 2 that holds it back; the ending. In order to defeat the demon, Lorraine must use its name against it. How does she know its name? Oh, it told her earlier in the movie.
If the name gives humans power over the demon, why would the demon ever give up its name? I like to imagine that this demon was fired as Chief Possession Officer in England after such a rookie mistake.
That said, The Conjuring 2 keeps you on edge for the entire film and effectively earns its scares, instead of relying on cheap tricks. Heck, even the jump scares are well earned, merely through the tension and atmosphere Wan creates.
Though a minor stepback, The Conjuring 2 takes what made the original terrific horror and repackages it for another story.
This review of The Conjuring 2 (2016) was written by Spangle on 05 Sep 2016.
The Conjuring 2 has generally received positive reviews.
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