The Conjuring 2 (Warner Bros. Pictures – 2016) Review

Ed and Lorraine Warren were in their hey days of the 60’s and 70’s self appointed Demonologists who liaised with the Catholic church, investigating paranormal events around America.

Lorraine being a medium and Ed the more logical they were a husband and wife team who rose to fame throughout the sensationalized and infamous Amityville Haunting. During their investigations they collated case files on events that they looked in to and acquired items which are now housed in a cursed objects museum.

But after Amityville and the notoriety and controversy that it caused them, Lorraine needed to take a break. That was until London called.

A single mother, Peggy Hodgson living in poverty with her two girls and a son had called the local Police in their sleepy town of Enfield, London, after an unseen force was terrifying the family.

Word soon got out and the local Priest paid a visit to see what was going on. Being a little bit too much for him, the church enlisted the aide of the Warrens once again.

The Conjuring 2 is based on Ed and Lorraine’s account of the manifestation and haunting in Enfield where a former occupier of their house, who had died there, was tormenting Peggy’s daughter Margaret Hodgson, seemingly at times, possessing her and harming the family.

The Enfield Haunting is one of the most documented cases with photographic, video and audio results widely available for those that wish to look it up (some of the actual audio recordings are used in the film) and as the Warren’s dig a bit deeper into the entity that is causing this chaos, ‘Bill’ the ghost reveals a bit more about what has really set up shop in the house, which places Ed Warren in potentially fatal circumstances.

The Conjuring 2 is another fright fest from the master of horror, James Wan (Insidious, Annabel, The Conjuring) and those brave enough to sit through the over 2 hours of scaredom will recognise his brand of terror with subliminal and in your face creepiness.

Character dynamic is great and for those that saw the first Conjuring will embrace the familiarity to the first film. As we get to know the family throughout the terror that they go through gives a more personal feeling to viewers.

Expertly directed and written, the only gripe I would have is the use of CGI for one of the ‘forms’ the entity takes on in the house – but that might just be me being a bit old fashioned, and who still likes classic horror films, such as The Exorcist.

Naturally if the horror genre is for you, then you absolutely cannot miss this. Likewise if you have seen the first Conjuring film.

The Conjuring 2 has enough juice to scare even the unscare-able.