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[Review] ‘The Conjuring 2’ is a Funhouse Full of Frights!

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The Conjuring 2 Review

The Conjuring was the surprise hit of the summer of 2013, grossing $137 million domestically. That is a pretty astounding feat for an R-rated horror film released in the middle of summer. Three years later and we are now faced with The Conjuring 2, a sequel that lives up to the original in every way. If anyone was afraid that The Conjuring 2 would be a similar misstep like that of Wan’s Insidious: Chapter 2, let me quell those fears right now. The Conjuring 2 is one of the best horror sequels to come out in some time. While not without its flaws, James Wan had proved his adeptness at scaring the pants off of viewers while also telling a story with characters that you connect with, and he doesn’t disappoint here.

Picking up six years after the Perron case that was at the center of the first film, The Conjuring 2 begins in media res with the Warren’s most well-known case: The Amityville Horror. While at the infamous house in Long Island long after the Lutz family has flown the coop, Lorraine (Vera Farmiga, fantastic as usual) comes into contact with the creepiest ghost nun you’ve ever seen and has a premonition of Ed’s (Patrick Wilson) death. Afterward, Lorraine sees the nun wandering the halls of her own home informs Ed that they cannot take another case.

Cut to Enfield, England where we are introduced to the Hodgson family, comprised of mother Peggy (Frances O’Connor), daughters Janet (Madison Wolfe) and Margaret (Lauren Esposito, a dead ringer for Emily Browning) and sons Johnny (Patrick McAuley) and Billy (Benjamin Haigh). Still reeling from being abandoned by her husband, Peggy is struggling to make ends meet while supporting her four children. Strange things begin happening around the house and Janet begins acting strangely. Things escalate rather quickly and Ed and Lorraine are called upon by the church to help the Hodgsons before the entity haunting them can do further damage.

I should point out that I am not well versed on the exploits of Ed and Lorraine Warren, so how accurately the film represents the “true” events I could not tell you. That being said, taken on its own without the pervading thoughts the phrase “Based On a True Story” invokes, The Conjuring 2 succeeds in what it sets out to do: scare the audience silly. There is a lot on display here that falls well outside the realm of reality, something that fans of the first film’s realism (well, as realistic as a supernatural horror film can get) might find irksome, but it is a truly impressive piece of work.

 The Conjuring 2 is a treat for audiences, but especially for horror fans. So skilled is Wan at subverting expectations that watching the film will keep even the most learned horror fan guessing. I don’t mean this in reference to the story or the turn of events. All of that is fairly standard and everything plays out pretty much as you would expect, which is the only glaring flaw in the film. No, the surprises lie in the way in which Wan scares you. If you are an avid fan of horror you have no doubt learned the tricks of the trade. You’re able to predict when a jump scare will occur or when something will appear in the frame based solely on the camera angle being used or the music playing at the time. The Conjuring 2 will constantly have you guessing as to when Wan is about to employ a scare.

A prime example is a scene in which the camera pans out of the Hodgsons’ house,showing two windows in the frame. In the window on the right, one of the children is looking out into the distance. The window on the left is unpopulated. You fully expect one of Wan’s ghouls to appear ever so slowly in the window on the left, but Wan shows restraint and opts to let the beauty of the shot sink in. There are several moments like this (and several others where he does take advantage of the opportunity to scare you). It’s a lot of fun to watch.

The Conjuring 2 Review

Wan is at the top of his game here (after all of the horror films he’s made he would have to be), and while his camerawork is impressive, it’s the performances he draws out of Farmiga and Wilson that makes the film. The actors’ chemistry with each other is the emotional center of The Conjuring 2 and it makes the film all the better. You truly care about these characters, which is not something that happens often in horror films. In fact, all of the actors are top notch. Special mention should be made of Madison Wolfe, who is put though the wringer multiple times throughout the film and really sells it.

Some viewers may have found The Conjuring to be a bit too slow for their tastes (for the record, I am not one of those people), but they needn’t worry here. Wan has increased the number of set pieces and scares dramatically. Though nothing tops the sheer terror of the hide-and-seek clapping scene from the original, The Conjuring 2 boasts several standout moments that are sure to quench your thirst for horror. One particular scene involving The Crooked Man from the nursery rhyme of the same name is a particular standout, feeling like something out of A Nightmare on Elm Street. At 133 minutes (20 minutes longer than the first film), The Conjuring 2 never feels too long. The film moves along at a brisk pace, stopping only a handful of times to give the audience a break between scares. The most interesting of these breaks is a sequence in which Wilson sings Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love” to the Hodgson family as Lorraine looks at him longingly. It is a scene that should feel out of place but doesn’t.

The ghouls themselves are also more effective than Bathsheba, though they are more reminiscent of the villains from the Insidious films. The old man terrorizing the Hodgson family is mighty similar to The Wheezing Demon from Insidious: Chapter 3, but The Conjuring 2 wisely delves into the backstory of the ghost. You’ll be forgiven for thinking the nun bears a striking resemblance The Bride in Black mixed in with a dash of The Lipstick-Face Demon. These aren’t criticisms, but merely observations. Just because their design is familiar doesn’t mean they don’t get the job done. Both ghouls stand out on their own and manage to terrify with ease.

One gripe to be had with the film is that it does follow the narrative of the first film closely. There is not much new on display here. Still, while Wan may not reinvent the wheel he spins it remarkably well. Despite the lack of any surprises in terms of plot, the aforementioned scare tactics and emotional beats should be enough to satisfy even the most skeptical viewer. There is one particular issue to be had with the ending of the film. Since this criticism involves spoilers I’ll leave out specifics, but highlight below if you’ve already seen the film:

In the final act, Lorraine remembers something that happened to her earlier in the film that may help her and Ed defeat the paranormal entity. The fact that she conveniently forgets about it until the script requires her to remember comes off a little clunky. It’s a minor quibble, but this critic couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the revelation. 

The Conjuring 2 isn’t a perfect sequel, but it will provoke a sigh of relief from viewers once the credits start to roll. It’s a fast-paced ride through a funhouse full of scares and definitely one of the best horror films to come out so far this year. It is doubtful that Wan will make another one of these any time soon since he has to turn his attention to 2018’s Aquaman but if The Conjuring 2 is any indication, he has not lost his flair for the genre. For that we can be thankful.

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

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SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

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As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

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