Rating of
4/4
Scarier than the first!
Terry - wrote on 09/19/16
When a sequel comes out it’s always a concerned if it will destroy the prequel, if the prequel was amazing that is as in the case of the Conjuring. But from the get go staring with the teaser trailer a while back, it was evident that this one was going to be great, and it was.
Just a quick synopsis for anyone unfamiliar: This particular case, takes place one year after the Warren’s investigation of the infamous Amityville haunting's which we see at the beginning of ten movie. The Warrens travel to England to help the Hodgson family who are being terrorized by a malevolent spirit. The entity has particular interest in Janet making her its main target. The movie is also based on a true story like then first.
I for one thought that the movie was better than the first. One of the reasons is because I’m particularly interested in the Enfield case which I had read about long before the movie was even being made. I highly recommend anyone who is not too familiar with the Enfield haunting to check out documentaries or read up about it. It will make the movie so much better and more interesting because the way they incorporated the real people and events, including the reporters, journalists, the police officers who were originally called to the house to investigate the strange happenings was really done well in that they stuck to the actual story but adjusted it just a little to give it that James Wan style and creepier feel. The interview with Janet and her sister is particularly great to see as this actual interview took place, once again being adjusted for the big screen and very successfully to.
The camera angles and long shots can freak any one out and just like the first one, the tension at times is too much to handle. Wan has the ability to take the simplest thing and turn it into something creepy. For example, the crooked man toy, so long for that one as a gift for youngsters.
I really like the way James Wan has the characters see something in the dark which only they can and we the viewers are left to ask ourselves if we also see or possibly saw a malicious entity hiding in the dark along with our character or are we just being warmed up for the hugest fright of our lives.
As always, the character build up is excellent, making it different from other horror flicks in that we grow with the family as the movie progresses and feel their fear, struggles and pain. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the paranormal investigators and happily married couple, providing hope that the family so desperately needs.
The excellent film making, genuine scares, creepy setting and excellent acting make this film not only a great horror, but an outstanding movie as was the first film carries on the series just the way we would want it, scarier and flawless.
