I just watched the first Conjuring last week and really enjoyed it so I went into The Conjuring 2 with lots of anticipation. The film isn’t as good as the first one, but it’s still a very solid movie. The core aspect of the first film was my attachment to the characters, and I feel James Wan and the 6 credited writers did a pretty solid job of making me care. I give The Conjuring 2 the Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy rating.
The Conjuring 2 almost lives up to the first.
Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) travel to London to help a family experiencing some kind of malicious spirit who is tormented the single mother, Peggy (Frances O’Connor), and her four children.
Madison Wolfe plays Janet Hodgson, daughter of Peggy, and does pretty terrific job. She is the character, other than the Warrens, that I am most rooting for in this film. Her story arc is the one that really is the most compelling and is expertly crafted throughout the journey of the film. The Warren’s connection to this character and the spirit in the film is also very interesting and works to create tension.
There are just a few parts that felt a bit too Hollywood at times that took away from the overall feeling. The first film felt fairly grounded in its humanity despite seeing ghosts. This film upped the special effects budgets and the spirits felt a bit more over-the-top then necessary for such a character driven horror film. Some of the acting followed suit such as the scene with a character standing in the rain, spinning, while the camera looked down on them screaming in defiance was a bit too much. It did mar my enjoyment of the film, but not enough to knock it too far down the ratings.
I really appreciate the mystery aspect that this film brings to the ghost stories. The Warren’s are true believers, but they don’t just accept every story they hear. The investigation and hesitance to accept things that most non-believers would likely turn to believers having experienced make them intriguing to me.
The cinematography of the film is also pretty spectacular at times. Making a small room feel gigantic, or shifting focus at just the right moment. Sometimes, leaving the background out of focus proved to be more scary than the traditional rack focus we would expect to see. There is a scene where Ed is talking to a spirit and has to look the other way. The shot is long at this time and never cuts away from Ed, who is in perfect focus, and the shapes we see in the blurred background are truly terrifying.
If you like the first Conjuring then you will likely enjoy the second. As long as you don’t get upset over the overthetop moments that happen in the film. It is a truly character driven horror film that feels more like a drama, which is why it works so well.
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