The Conjuring 2 (2016)

I watched the first one and enjoyed it, so I figured I needed to check more of these Conjuring movies out. This first sequel has Ed and Loraine investigating the Amityville house, which I’m guessing most of us are familiar with. She is doing a séance and is trying to figure out if DeFeo was under the influence of a demon when he killed his family. Here we get to see that creepy Nun for what I think is the first time in the series. After some spooky stuff they leave, and Loraine asks that they take a break from investigating for a while. This is because she was given a vision of Ed impaled by a tree branch in what she thinks is a glimpse of a future she wants to avoid. 

Then we get to the meat of the story. There is a family in England where a single mom is trying to raise her four children. One of them starts messing around with a Ouija board and before you know it, they have ghost issues. Things get very bad and eventually the church asks Ed and Loraine to check it out. There are concerns that it is all fake and the church wants nothing to do with a hoax. So, the pair head to London and move in with the family. For a big chunk of the movie there are legitimate questions as to the validity of the events. But eventually they figure out that the ghost is a red herring and that the supposed haunting is being manipulated by a demon. The same creepy demonic nun that Loraine saw in the Amityville house. 

I don’t want to go any further and give away spoilers. Much like my first review I need to point out that I understand the Warrens, Ed and Loraine, have people who believe them and those who thing they were fakers. I’m not here to debate that, I’m here to review a movie. Additionally, there are pretty good sources that say the events in this movie make them seem a lot more involved in this real life haunting than they were. I don’t really care as I’m watching the Conjuring 2 as if it were just fiction. With that out of the way let’s get to my review. 

Like the first Conjuring this movie keeps a lot of action coming at the audience. It creates and maintains a creepy vibe that it sustains for most of the runtime. I did think that it drags a bit while getting the two storylines of the tormented family and the Warrens together. But there is enough good stuff that even when it meanders a bit, they manage to grab your attention again. There is a lot of frightening events in the movie including a swing moving by itself, pounding on the door, a gag with a firetruck that was very good, the reflection of an old man in a television screen, as well as the demonic nun popping in here and there. 

When the Conjuring 2 is subtle like the gags listed above it is great. Unfortunately, it has a reoccurring scare with the crooked man. This is a character that comes to life out of a child’s toy and stomps around the house. It looks very much like a movie monster and reminded me I was watching a movie. When this and the original film are at their best, they make you feel like the events were close enough to reality to have actually occurred. That is very creepy, but this monster ruins that every time it shows up on screen. I found this to be a bummer. 

I have to say I liked this movie. There are a few jump scares and that old man yelling “This is my House” is enough to stick in my brain. In the end the Conjuring 2 is a good sequel that while not as fun or scary as the original still makes me want to watch more. Again, I’m very late to the Conjuring series but so far I dig it. 

© Copyright 2021 John Shatzer

The Conjuring (2013)

 

Yeah, I know that I’m really late to this game. This franchise never appealed to me, so I avoided it. I always figured that this was just your modern “scary” movie with a bunch of telegraphed jump scares. That stuff does nothing for me. But after yet another friend recommended it to me, I relented and checked out this first movie. The fact that it popped up on Netflix for free also helped guide my decision.

The story starts with an introduction to Ed and Loraine Warren, paranormal investigators. They are working with some roommates who thought they invited the ghost of a little girl to live with them in a doll called Annabelle. Ah I see where that is headed. Were they thinking sequels all the way back here? Anyway, they tell the ladies that this was a huge mistake and that the doll is being used by a Demon as a gateway to possess one of them. It doesn’t want the inanimate object you see but will use it to gain a foothold or advantage. They take the doll and lock it up in their basement, which I think is also the basis for a future movie.

Then we are introduced to a family moving into a new house. Some spooky stuff happens with a boarded-up basement, a game of hide and seek, and a young daughter who sleepwalks. There are all sorts of secrets about the house that eventually are revealed. Bottom line is there is the spirit of an evil woman who keeps trying to possess the mothers with the intent of making them kill their own children. Why? I think she was a Satanist and sacrificed her own baby to the Devil. It is up to Ed and Loraine to save the day with an exorcism!

That damn music box...

Let me say something right up front. I know that the Warrens are very controversial characters and that this story is supposedly based on case files. They have true believers and skeptics who are both very passionate. Trust me after watching this movie I Googled them… holy crap! I’m not going to get into any of that shit. I watched The Conjuring for entertainment purposes and not to get into some discussion about the supernatural. Greedo isn’t real and yet I still can enjoy Star Wars. Though for the record Han shot first. With that out of the way lets talk about the movie.

I enjoyed the hell out of the Conjuring, pun not intended. The filmmakers do a wonderful job creating and maintaining a creepy vibe throughout the entire runtime. I seriously was on the edge of my seat wondering what was happening and where the next spooky thing was coming. I’m not talking about jump scares either, though there are a couple good ones. This movie leans heavily into atmosphere and making you uncomfortable. From the hide and go seek clapping gag, to hands that clearly aren’t her daughter, methane smells, suddenly seeing characters breath in the cold air, and of course that damn music box. There is some creepy stuff here to sink your teeth into. They even hit upon a terror that I think most of us had as kids… cover your damn feet with the covers! That got under my skin.

That is a bit creepy

The movie is always interesting and with what I’ve mentioned above as well as a few other surprises that I didn’t there is always something onscreen to hold your attention. Though I do need to warn you that this is the sort of movie you need to pay attention to. Put your phone down and pay attention or you are going to miss something for sure.

The Conjuring is unrelentingly creepy and fun. I know that some of the sequels are mediocre, but I think that I still want to check them out. I know it spawned that doll movie as well as the nun movie. But before that I guess it will be the Conjuring 2. I highly recommend this one.

 

Ó Copyright 2021 John Shatzer