The Conjuring 2
Director: James Wan
Talent: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe, Frances O’Connor
Release Date: 13th June
James Wan and the Warrens are back in The Conjuring 2, the sequel to the formally innovative and genuinely spooky haunted house feature from a couple of years ago. Warner Bros. squandered some of the original picture’s good will with the perfunctory interquel Annabelle, a film that threatened to ruin the Warrens’ good name by association. Happily, The Conjuring 2 is a confident return to form for the series.
In 1977, the Warrens are called out of premature premonition-based retirement when they’re asked to investigate the Enfield poltergeist in the London suburbs. All of the period details and decor are present and accounted for with the production designers going to great lengths to capture the ambiance of London life at this time. The terror here is something of a long con: we start with bumps in the night and end with demonic possession. The escalation is deftly handled by Wan, with some excellent central performances Farmiga and Wilson. We care about these characters and want them to be alright when the credits roll. So the scares are scarier and the frights more frightening than ever before. A great picture; roll on part three.
Words: Luke Maxwell
