The Conjuring 2 (2016) is a direct sequel to the original directed by James Wan. This is the same man behind other horror hits including Saw and Insidious as well as DC's Aquaman. Most sequels to horror films lack the same punch as the original when you think of any franchise. This may be true for The Conjuring's spin-off films, but the topic of this article has little to no dropoff. Read on. Small spoilers ahead.
I've already mentioned James Wan and will again because he's significant to the movie. The spinoff films are not directed by him and all have lower scores from critics and audiences. The two he directed including this one are overwhelmingly positive. That being said, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga make this great.
Many actors and actresses have used horror films in the past to jump-start their careers and leave them behind. However, these movies are not your standard cheap tricks. They act in these because it's exceptional. I'm not sure what the two's relationship is like off the set, but it's very convincing in the movie. Vera is especially able to convey emotion without saying anything.
As far as jump scares, this film still has those although maybe not as much as the first. That's fine with me since I'm kind of wimpy when it comes to horror movies. The painting scene was something. This movie does have creative scares and use of misdirection. There's a scene where the dog is barking at the door. You're looking out the door waiting for the jump scare until the dog mutates into a creepy hideous being.
The choice to make an inhuman nun spirit really worked. It's a perversion of the protagonists' Christian faith mocking them. This spirit spawned its own spin-off.
After the Catholic church was mired in controversy from fake hauntings, they're more reluctant to investigate. That's why the Warrens have to go. It's an interesting component to this story because they can't just help, they have to prove there is a problem, to begin with. As the viewer, we know the whole time it's real, so it's pleasantly frustrating to wait and see.
It's a great horror movie. I don't watch many, so I try to make them count, and this one is worth the watch. The ending twist is satisfactory even though I called it somewhat early on. It's done so well that it didn't matter. My film rating is an A.
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