Aug 31, 2017

Horrifying and heartwarming at the same time, bizarrely, The Conjuring 2 does exactly what a sequel should do: ratchet up the scares a notch, add actual information to the story, answer unanswered questions posed by the predecessor and not just rehash familiar territory we've already seen. The Conjuring 2 focuses on the "true story" of the Enfield Haunting, London's answer to the Amityville tragedy. Whilst the first Conjuring focused on a lowly farmhouse in Connecticut and honourably mentioned the now infamous haunted doll case of Annabelle, the sequel moves attention to a poor family in the east end of London dealing with a poltergeist, drawing parallel to Amityville. The doll is replaced with a black-eyed spectre known as Valak, who dresses as a warped Nun figure to attack the Christian faith of Ed and Lorraine Warren - the psychic heroes of the series. Valak is so undeniably creepy and is probably the most memorable villain from any supernatural horror film of the last 20 years, in my own opinion. The Conjuring doesn't only terrify its audience, but also manages to shed sunlight in on the dark story with touching moments such as a family singalong to Elvis' "Can't Help Falling in Love With You", these moments don't feel cheesy or unnecessary, but seem more pivotal to the story of the family over any cracked limbs or possessed children could.

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