James Wan has been a very hit-or-miss director (watch as his Saw movies crumble after the third movie or so... or rather, don't watch), but his talent for horror directing became mostly well-known through 2013's mega-hit, The Conjuring. I've talked to many people about this film, and whether you enjoyed the experience or not, its chill factor was undeniable. It had a creepily slow pace, it built up its scares rather than relying on jump scares like most horror films, and Wan's cinematography brought viewers into an unsettling environment. It's considered by many (myself included) to be one of the all-time greats of horror films. Too bad horror sequels never really hold up.
In The Conjuring 2, we rejoin the Warrens as they once again explore the supernatural activity occurring in a home in which a family just moved into. (Sound familiar?) This time around, they travel to the UK where the family they visit is being haunted by a ghost who used to live there with his family, as he's constantly telling them to leave. Things are not as they seem this time around, however, as Lorraine Warren finds that this new ghost might tie into an old ghost she's encountered in the past.
I'll give this film its due credit; the Warrens still hold up as legitimate characters. Every scene they're in gives the film a sentimental quality that results in every one of the best scenes in the movie. There's one scene where Ed Warren plays the guitar that's very heartfelt and a soft detour from the rest of the film.
Whenever we get to the "scare" scenes in the film, however, that's when it gets... silly.
Every aspect that made the first film a chilling experience is replaced by a very noisy and often times laughable experience. For example, the first film had a very slow and unsettling pace that made you think it was building up to a jump scare when the chills were actually sneaking their way in. Here, everything goes by so quickly that it feels more like a roller coaster, and you can practically pinpoint every jump scare that the film throws at you. Not only that, though, but it does so in the silliest way possible, to the point where I thought I was looking at an adaptation of Disney's Haunted Mansion (just without Eddie Murphy). For instance, one jump scare involves a toy fire truck coming up to one of the kids. No joke. Heck, the ghost himself reminds me too much of that hobo from that episode of Hey Arnold where the kids are on a subway. ("THIS IS MY HOUSE! GET OUT!")
Overall? If you're looking for a noisy, silly, fast-paced thrill ride as a follow-up to one of the most dreadful, chilling, unsettling film experiences in the past decade (which I could not imagine why you would be looking for that), this film's for you! But if you're looking for a chilling horror experience, I'd say just go back to the first film.
My rating:
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