The Conjuring 2 (2016)

Title: The Conjuring 2

Release Date: June 10, 2016

Director: James Wan

Writer: Carey and Chad Hayes, ...

Starring: Vera Farmigan, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe

Genre: Horror

TLDR; If you love paranormal/haunted house/religious horror, cockney accents, genuinely frightening nighttime creatures and children acting creepy this is the movie for you(and go watch it even if you don't because it's a well made film).

James Wan does it AGAIN! Okay, I'm biased on the Wan brand of horror because: 1. Films like Saw and Dead Silence hit me at my prime "coming into horror" age, and I have a lot of nostalgia and love for his aesthetic and 2. It touches on aspects of horror and fear that really, really scare me. Also sound design is always on point.

Okay, so now that I've prefaced my undying love for Wan, let's talk about this movie. I'll try and avoid spoilers for my butt hurt movie lovers out there.

Costume design and makeup were incredible. This Conjuring takes place in the 70's in England and they have the styles down to a tee. Not only that but the set was incredible. Wan cuts 0 corners when it come to this shit. People think Wes Anderson has an attention to detail, but this film (and most of Wan's films) not only focuses on making the scenery feel real and lived in, but making it INCREDIBLY atmospheric and frightening as well. There are also these beautiful easter eggs throughout the movie that you will miss if you aren't taking the whole scene in.

Another aspect of scene setting that Wan has a huge success in is the historical accuracy of these re-tellings of notorious ghost stories(Amityville haunting and the Enfield poltergeist). There is so much time and effort making the details that they choose to recreate completely accurate to the original story. I say "details they choose" because there is a lot of expanding on the 'true story' aspect. The details I'm speaking to now are the look of the sets (especially the girl's room, love it). Also, special effects are well done and minimal, and there is even a little clay-mation esque creature thrown in there).

The story is strong and I think Wan has learned from failures in earlier films to eliminate a lot of potential plot holes but keeping the story more bare bones and instead relying on actors performances and really great jump scares. I think what makes Wan's films important to the current climate of horror films is that he is creating original and genuinely scary images and moments while still referencing classic horror that came before. His soundtracks are a huge testament to the effectiveness of simple sound manipulation creating very authentic and haunting atmospheres. Beautiful and grating on the nerves, like early early Nosferatu horror meets The Exorcist. Ugh, i love it.

Okay speaking of that, the last thing I'll talk about is the acting. Which was on point. These films must have very patient and careful casting directors because the child actors in all the Wan films are incredible. And they are usually fresh faces, which is so awesome to see because Hollywood usually finds one "horror kid" and uses them over and over again(i.e. daughter from silent hill). The children were great. I was most convinced by them throughout the film. Their fear felt very real. The adults were good too, I only kind of appreciate the repetition of actors in Wan's work(I understand it's a sequel and they have to use the same characters), my reservations have to do with the suspension of disbelief so that is more a personal gripe.