Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Madison Wolfe, Frances O’Connor, Lauren Esposito, Simon McBurney, Simon Delaney
Directed by: James Wan
Written by: Carey Hayes, Chad Hayes, James Wan, David Leslie Johnson
Running time: 134 minutes
Rated: R (for terror and horror violence)
Reviewed by Michael Juvinall – Horror Society
The Conjuring 2 is now available to own on Blu-ray or DVD or Own It Now on Digital HD!
THE FILM:
The Conjuring was such a huge hit back in 2013 there was never any doubt that a sequel would follow. Going by the case files of real-life demonologists and paranormal investigators Ed and
Lorraine Warren, there would be a vast array of cases to turn into films. One of their more sensational cases, the Enfield Poltergeist, would serve as the basis for the next film, The Conjuring 2.
The case of the Enfield Poltergeist is widely considered to be one of the most documented cases of paranormal activity ever in the annals of parapsychological research. Such a case would be ripe for the picking for the writers of The Conjuring 2.
Set in 1977 in Enfield, England, we are introduced to the Hodgson family – single mom Peggy, her 13-year-old daughter Margaret, her 11-year-old daughter Janet, her 10-year-old son Johnny and her 9-year-old son Billy. Paranormal occurrences including demonic possession begin to happen in the house and seem to be centered on youngest daughter, Janet. Seeking help for her daughter, Peggy reaches out to the authorities who actually witness these paranormal events for themselves. The church being reluctant to get involved sends famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren to England to observe the manifestations and report back to the church.
The Warrens in an attempt to help young Janet rid herself of the demonic entity end up embroiled themselves and become the target of malevolent spirits.
The Conjuring 2 is a triumph of horror cinema, and with the help of co-writer and director James Wan, brings back legitimacy to studio horror films. Wan is a modern master at what he does. He knows what scares an audience and he knows how to do it.
The acting here is way above normal for a film of this type. Everyone involved is top-notch and without the performances given by the entire cast here, the film would not have come across as well as it did. Kudos have to go to the leads here, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga show so much empathy that we can’t help but care for them and cheer them on. Whereas the first film concentrated a bit more on Lorraine Warren’s character, I think this sequel shows off a little bit more of Patrick Wilson’s abilities. I also don’t want to forget young Madison Wolfe in the key role of Janet who was the most afflicted. All were simply stunning in their roles.
As I said earlier, Wan knows what scares an audience and there’s no shortage of legitimate frights throughout the film. Wan and his team’s interpretation of the crooked man was truly frightening. I believe what most will remember most about this film is the demon nun as she is a thing of nightmares.
Everything about this film oozes terror. Everything from the set design to the lighting and sound effects comprise a nearly perfect storm of a horror picture. I never thought the first Conjuring film could be beaten as far as creating a near perfect horror film but I’ll be damned (pun intended) if the filmmakers didn’t turn around and make a better film with this sequel.
Film rating:
4 ½ out of 5 Pentagrams!
THE DISC:
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Blu-ray of The Conjuring 2 includes the film in high definition on Blu-ray, a DVD and a digital version in Digital HD with Ultraviolet.
The Blu-ray disc of The Conjuring 2 features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack remixed specifically for home theater.
The Conjuring 2 Blu-ray includes the following special features:
- The Enfield Poltergeist: Living The Horror
- The Conjuring 2: Hollywood’s Haunted Stage
- Creating Crooked
- Crafting The Conjuring 2
- Sounds of Scary
- Deleted Scenes
The transfer and sound of the Blu-ray disc are both stunning. The picture is as clear as can get for a dark film and the sound is thunderous in the appropriate scenes. I couldn’t have asked for a better looking or sounding disc.
The special features on the other hand leave a little to be desired. The features that are included are nice but I wanted more. The featurettes are very brief, most are under ten minutes in length. There is no audio commentary – I would’ve loved to hear James Wan commenting about how each scene was shot and set up. I thought the special features would’ve had more to them, so that’s a subtraction there.
Overall, the Blu-ray disc of The Conjuring 2 is very good but the special features are rather bare bones.
Disc rating:
4 out of 5 Pentagrams!
Below is a YouTube link to a haunting 360-video experience for fans. Walk as Lorraine Warren from the film and experience her vision through the video. Fans can watch in 360, Google Cardboard or a VR headset.
Watch The Conjuring 2 trailer here:
