Review by CJ

Director:
James Wan

Starring:
Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Madison Wolfe, Frances O’Connor, Simon McBurney

Other notable appearances:
Bob Adrian, Bonnie Aarons

Running time:
134 minutes

Watch this if you liked:
The Conjuring, Annabelle, Sinister

Six years after the events of The Conjuring Ed (Wilson) and Lorraine (Farmiga) Warren travel to England to investigate a haunting and possession in Enfield. This film is based on the true accounts of real life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.

I’ve said this before but I do truly believe that the best test for a horror movie is how well you do or do not sleep the night after watching it. Based on this test, The Conjuring 2 is an incredibly effective horror film.

Visually, The Conjuring 2 summons vivid horror images. The cinematography techniques used throughout the film, combined with one character in particular’s creepy makeup, add a sense of foreboding and depth that the film may not otherwise have.

I must admit that there was one particular point of the film that I don’t feel was well explained as it caused me some confusion. There was a scene early on that made me think that the film implied the events at the Amityville house were linked to what occurred in Enfield. It wasn’t until later, when researching the film, I realised the scene was a premonition of what would occur not what had. While this won’t detract from the plot for most viewers, I have seen films and read articles on both Amityville and Enfield so I was quite distracted by this.

In terms of scares, it’s not just the vivid imagery that is so effective — though that does help considerably. The Conjuring 2 has several decent jump scares, an overall creepiness and sense of suspense, and the scare factor is increased by the fact it is based on true events.

If you’re a fan of supernatural horror, then The Conjuring 2 is worth spending the couple of hours to check it out.

Rating:

“This is my house!”