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    The Conjuring 2

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

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    “The Conjuring 2” is not as good as its predecessor but those itching to see this sequel will nonetheless be pleased. With an emphasis on the relationships between the characters, you care for the people plunged into this nightmare while eagerly awaiting to see what the film's array of monsters will do to them.

    Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are taking a break from the paranormal after a particularly disturbing trip to the famous Amityville house. They are pulled back into the fray when a single mother, Peggy Hodgson (Frances O’Connor) comes begging for help.

    Following this film’s success, one of the primary monsters, a demonic-looking nun, has gotten its own film but the picture dedicated to it doesn’t hold a candle to how frightening it is here. Bonnie Aarons, who played the nightmare-inducing homeless woman in “Mulholland Drive” has this quality that makes you feel like she's boring into your chest and pouring icy cold water directly into your veins. You're shown enough to get scared, but not too much that you become used to the creature’s appearance. The scene where she is introduced (via a creepy painting inspired by a dream Ed) fills me with chills just thinking about it.

    Directed once more by James Wan, this film, much like the first, uses familiar ghost story elements to their full potential. The buildup to the scares is terrific. Each member of the Hodgson family experiences one or two weird little things that let you know what kind of danger they’re in, but isn’t enough for them to pack their bags and leave the house. Splitting the occurences like this sounds like a no-brainer but we've seen it done wrong time and time again. For the most part, the picture does little things to get under your skin and build dread. It’s an out-of-focus shape that slowly changes to reveal something much more terrifying, or a sound that was previously shown to be completely harmless now given a new, sinister purpose.

    The most significant aspect of the film isn’t the monster (there are again, more than one and they’re both pretty good, though I like the “Crooked Man” less than the "Nun"), or the way it uses real-world people and events to make it seem convincing. It’s not even the neat twists on the formula brought in right before the climax. It’s the people. With this picture even more than the first, you realize how refreshing it is to have two protagonists in a horror movie. Not a main and a sidekick; a loving couple who care about each other and bring their own strengths to the fight. The scenes of Ed and Lorraine reminiscing about how they met and saying what they mean to each other, combined with the scenes of the Hodgson family banding together provides the climbs that make the sharp plunges generated by the scares that much more effective.

    No moment in “The Conjuring 2” matches the “hide and clap” scare in the first (just writing those words literally gave me a chill). The writing isn't as sharp either. There's a revelation during the conclusion that feels forced and overall, the film is too long. I still think those looking for scares will be happy. This confident picture delivers what you want to see, expands on the characters and keeps building up its menagerie of creatures. You'll look forward to seeing them again in their own spinoffs.

    You have to be truly awful for your horror film not to make gangbusters at the box office but very few franchises manage to make a second trip down the scary lane worth it. By maintaining consistent chills, “The Conjuring” franchise is proving itself one of the best in the realm of horror. (September 8, 2018)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  20.6.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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