The Conjuring 2 (A-) Movie Review
The Conjuring 2 stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, respectively, husband and wife as well as paranormal investigating team. In 1977, they are called to meet with a family in Enfield, England. The family claims their daughter Janet, played by Madison Wolfe, is possessed by an old man named Bill Wilkins. Eager to understand this family's plight but skeptical, Ed and Lorraine are horrified by what they find.
In a haze of atrocious, big-budget horror films, The Conjuring 2 is a beacon of light. Modern horror films may not be as lost as fans of the genre feared. There may be someone out there who understands the science of the scare. The Conjuring 2 makes a case that this person is James Wan: director of Saw, Insidious, and the first Conjuring film, among others. Wan has now proven himself to be a master of the genre. His first Insidious film blew me away and I was far more impressed with it than my peers in the film world. The Conjuring is a delightfully creepy, old school haunted house movie that is effective but falters as the film nears its finale.
The Conjuring 2 is that rare horror sequel that stands toe-to-toe with its predecessor and surprisingly surpasses it. I may be in the minority for this one but I feel like The Conjuring 2 is a scarier and stronger genre entry than The Conjuring. True, the film is less simple than its predecessor; we are given keen insight into the complexities of the Hodgson family (that of the possessed Janet) and a more nuanced look at Ed and Lorraine's marriage. Wan's established emotional stakes up the ante when things go horribly wrong for Janet. It's rare that a big-budget horror film pays this specific attention to human relationships but it works.
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson give this franchise a lot of its heart. The two share excellent chemistry and perform in a way that they ground the audience in these spectacular events. Ed and Lorraine are relatable, watchable people that believe in these apparitions and we should too. They allow us to invest in these paranormal happenings and see them as reality. Farmiga has a stoic quality about her; she sees these awful things but remains almost unmoved, venturing into them with bravery and a willingness to help. Farmiga gives us the sense that she is wise beyond her years. Wilson gives their relationship a lot of credibility in his emotional yet confident performance. He's also just a very charismatic actor with a natural ability to draw you in.
And let's get one thing out of the way right now: this movie is scary. I consider myself a horror enthusiastic and I'm a big fan of the genre. I was frightened by this film. As I mentioned before, Wan is a genre master and will undoubtedly earn the respect he deserves in later years. He's a master of manipulation with a deep understanding of the genre he works within. He acknowledges the typical beats a horror film hits and excitedly subverts them. There are specific sequences that I can point to throughout the film in which Wan takes a genre trope and upends it in some creative way. As is common with films of this haunted house genre, outsiders will enter the house to observe the supposed paranormal happenings. Instead of halting the paranormal events when outsiders enter the picture like a typical genre film, Wan keeps the scares coming and is unafraid to get outsiders involved in this story. It's an ingenious and disorienting touch that blatantly tells the audience that no one is safe, not even TV reporters. Wan orchestrates his scares with precision and almost all of them hit their mark with bone-chilling results.
The Conjuring 2 makes use of evocative sound design and appropriately drab visuals that immerse us in the Hodgson's gloomy world. The interior of the Hodgson's house is a dark grey, with slightly peeling wallpaper and ominous shadows cast every which way. The camerawork that allows us to explore this house is brilliant and the long tracking shots are not only creepy but familiarize the audience with the Hodgson residence in the same way the tracking shots in The Shining familiarize us with the Overlook Hotel.
The Conjuring 2 is a tremendous surprise of a film. I certainly wasn't expecting it to be as terrifying and nuanced as it is. Wan maintains an almost perfect tone, slowly building an acute sense of fear and dread. I don't think that the film's last fifteen minutes quite match the first thrilling two hours but it's so damn good that not even a less-than-thrilling finale can undo the film. Coming from someone who is rarely affected by horror films, The Conjuring 2 is scary good, with an emphasis on "scary."
FINAL GRADE: A-
MPAA RATING: R for terror and horror violence
In a haze of atrocious, big-budget horror films, The Conjuring 2 is a beacon of light. Modern horror films may not be as lost as fans of the genre feared. There may be someone out there who understands the science of the scare. The Conjuring 2 makes a case that this person is James Wan: director of Saw, Insidious, and the first Conjuring film, among others. Wan has now proven himself to be a master of the genre. His first Insidious film blew me away and I was far more impressed with it than my peers in the film world. The Conjuring is a delightfully creepy, old school haunted house movie that is effective but falters as the film nears its finale.
The Conjuring 2 is that rare horror sequel that stands toe-to-toe with its predecessor and surprisingly surpasses it. I may be in the minority for this one but I feel like The Conjuring 2 is a scarier and stronger genre entry than The Conjuring. True, the film is less simple than its predecessor; we are given keen insight into the complexities of the Hodgson family (that of the possessed Janet) and a more nuanced look at Ed and Lorraine's marriage. Wan's established emotional stakes up the ante when things go horribly wrong for Janet. It's rare that a big-budget horror film pays this specific attention to human relationships but it works.
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson give this franchise a lot of its heart. The two share excellent chemistry and perform in a way that they ground the audience in these spectacular events. Ed and Lorraine are relatable, watchable people that believe in these apparitions and we should too. They allow us to invest in these paranormal happenings and see them as reality. Farmiga has a stoic quality about her; she sees these awful things but remains almost unmoved, venturing into them with bravery and a willingness to help. Farmiga gives us the sense that she is wise beyond her years. Wilson gives their relationship a lot of credibility in his emotional yet confident performance. He's also just a very charismatic actor with a natural ability to draw you in.
And let's get one thing out of the way right now: this movie is scary. I consider myself a horror enthusiastic and I'm a big fan of the genre. I was frightened by this film. As I mentioned before, Wan is a genre master and will undoubtedly earn the respect he deserves in later years. He's a master of manipulation with a deep understanding of the genre he works within. He acknowledges the typical beats a horror film hits and excitedly subverts them. There are specific sequences that I can point to throughout the film in which Wan takes a genre trope and upends it in some creative way. As is common with films of this haunted house genre, outsiders will enter the house to observe the supposed paranormal happenings. Instead of halting the paranormal events when outsiders enter the picture like a typical genre film, Wan keeps the scares coming and is unafraid to get outsiders involved in this story. It's an ingenious and disorienting touch that blatantly tells the audience that no one is safe, not even TV reporters. Wan orchestrates his scares with precision and almost all of them hit their mark with bone-chilling results.
The Conjuring 2 makes use of evocative sound design and appropriately drab visuals that immerse us in the Hodgson's gloomy world. The interior of the Hodgson's house is a dark grey, with slightly peeling wallpaper and ominous shadows cast every which way. The camerawork that allows us to explore this house is brilliant and the long tracking shots are not only creepy but familiarize the audience with the Hodgson residence in the same way the tracking shots in The Shining familiarize us with the Overlook Hotel.
The Conjuring 2 is a tremendous surprise of a film. I certainly wasn't expecting it to be as terrifying and nuanced as it is. Wan maintains an almost perfect tone, slowly building an acute sense of fear and dread. I don't think that the film's last fifteen minutes quite match the first thrilling two hours but it's so damn good that not even a less-than-thrilling finale can undo the film. Coming from someone who is rarely affected by horror films, The Conjuring 2 is scary good, with an emphasis on "scary."
FINAL GRADE: A-
MPAA RATING: R for terror and horror violence