Movie Reaction: The Conjuring 2

Formula: The Conjuring + The Amityville Horror
(And yes, I realize that this is pretty much a recursive formula)

Sequels are hard. This isn't surprising, but it's said so often that it loses its meaning. The fact that any movie works at all, with all the people involved and moving parts coming together, is nothing short of a miracle. To go back to the same idea and find a way to make it work again while also being something new is foolish. Most sequels make up for a lack a freshness by going deeper into now familiar topics. That's pretty much the case of The Conjuring 2.

It's strange that horror movies get so many sequels, because good horror sequels are very hard to pull off. Being scared is all about surprise. Once you know the tricks employed by a certain series (i.e. "don't go in the water", "don't split up", etc.), it loses its effectiveness. The Conjuring, as a franchise, though is rather versatile. It's about the heroes, not the villains, which is uncommon and can be about whatever paranormal adventure the filmmakers want.

The Conjuring 2 takes place a little while after the events of the first movie. It briefly goes into Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed (Patrick Wilson) Warren's Amityville Horror investigation, which shoots them to fame. Lorraine has a horrible premonition at Amityville and convinces Ed that they should go on a break from investigations for a while. Then, they hear about a house in England that has been dubbed "England's Amityville" and they have to investigate it. Before they arrive, the first half of the movie follows the Hodgson family, single mother Peggy (Frances O'Connor) and her four children, as they are terrorized by the spirit of an old man. The Warren's are sent by the church to determine if this is a hoax. Once that's determined, they have to figure out they take it upon themselves to fix it.

The scares a pretty familiar, which is fine. The first movie wasn't about inventive scares. It was James Wan's execution that made it so effective. He shoots the hell out of this new house, using all the halls, corners, and dark spaces optimally. All the members of the Hodgson family sell the scares and the Warrens level things with their arrival. There's a sweetness to the relationship between Lorraine and Ed that should be more out of place in this kind of movie. It works though. Credit goes to Farmiga and Wilson for that.

The story relies on skepticism a little too much. After establishing this very real haunting for 2/3s of the movie, it's hard to look at the Warrens' trouble believing it as anything other than a plot-driven decision. That's the real limitation to being based on a true story. Sometimes, even if something is based on actual events, it's better for the story to not remind the audience of that. You know, scare me, don't educate me.

I don't have a lot to say about The Conjuring 2. It's probably 80% as good as the first movie which is fine. Wilson and Farmiga continue to anchor the story. James Wan has a command of the tone and feel of the movie. For major studio scares, this is about as good as you'll get.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend