Has anyone else been losing faith in the horror genre? It feels like ages since I’ve been left hiding behind my popcorn.
In fact, one of the few times in recent years that I was pleasantly surprised by a horror was in 2013, watching the original Conjuring movie. The franchise was quickly cheapened just one year later with the film Annabelle, a spin-off focused around the possessed doll we saw in The Conjuring. The film was greatly inferior to its predecessor and lacked the heart and soul put into the making of it. So, what about The Conjuring 2… has it put my faith back into the franchise, and more importantly – is it scary?
This sequel sees Patrick Wilson (Insidious) and Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (Up In the Air, Bates Motel) reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life paranormal investigators that studied things that went bump in the night for more than four decades.
The main plot of the film revolves around the supposed true story known as the Enfield Poltergeist. In North London (from 1977 to 1979) the Hodgson family became the target of a malicious spirit who claimed that they were trespassing in his home.
As is often the case, this evil spirit picks one child in particular – 11-year-old Janet Hodgson (Madison Wolfe). Before long, things become increasingly more sinister, and so enter the Warrens. The Catholic Church sent them in search of proof of an actual haunting, before they can agree to an exorcism. Is this a hoax or something much more disturbing? You’ll have to head to the cinema to find out.
The Conjuring 2 stands miles above Annabelle but doesn’t quite live up to the original. Its predecessor felt like a breath of fresh air whereas this instalment contains nothing new to absorb.
That being said, under James Wan’s direction, although the scares are far from original, they are genuinely creepy. Not every jump scare works, but a select few almost catapulted me into the next seat.
And of course, the scariest thing of all is most of what we’re seeing on the screen supposedly happened in real-life. I get through most horror films reminding myself, ‘This is only a movie’. However, with The Conjuring 2, as the closing credits rolled, photos and audio of the actual family that the film is based on pop up on the screen. Maybe this ISN’T just a movie. That alone makes it scarier than anything I’ve seen for a while.
Mikey Clarke
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Genre: Horror
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe & Frances O’Connor
Running Time: 2hrs 14 mins
Written/Directed by:James Wan
See The Conjuring 2and much more at Showcase Cinema, Peterborough. Visit www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for the latest up-to-date show times. You can also join the chat on Twitter @showcasecinemas or on Facebook by searching for ‘Showcase Cinemas’.
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