The Conjuring 2 (2016) is directed by James Wan, who wrote the screenplay alongside David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Chad Hayes, and Carey W. Hayes. It stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe, Frances O’Connor, Lauren Esposito, Benjamin Haigh, Patrick McAuley, Simon McBurney, Franka Potente, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Simon Delaney, Bob Adrian, Bonnie Aarons, and Javier Botet. The film once again follows paranormal investigators Ed (Wilson) & Lorraine Warren (Farmiga), this time as they attempt to help a single mother of four (O’Connor) after her youngest daughter (Wolfe) is possessed by the spirit of their home’s previous owner. 

The performances from Farmiga and Wilson are consistent with what they bring to the first film. This script is an improvement in some ways, but it’s also hilariously lazy in equal measure. It features series-best character moments, such as Ed’s beloved rendition of The King’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” but also includes multiple instances of inconsistent behavior and dialogue that are so lazy and cliché, they make the protagonists seem frustratingly dimwitted by extension. For example, there’s a scene in which the family’s youngest daughter is locked in her room and attacked by the demon for what feels like a full 3 minutes, screaming the entire time. As soon as the encounter subsides, Ed and Lorraine, presumably in the room directly next door, rush into the hallway and ask, “What’s going on?” This is absurd considering how small the house is, but there’s also the fact that the girl’s mother immediately realizes there’s something wrong despite being further away when it kicks off. This is clearly just an editing blunder, but it’s made worse by Ed’s eventual actions during the climax, where he refuses to wait even 1 minute before going full hero mode to save the children. Thankfully, the good outweighs the bad in the case of Ed & Lorraine, further establishing them as protagonists worth following.

The family at the center of the film’s demonic threat is portrayed with a similar lack of depth as the Perron family from the first movie. The two youngest children receive nearly all the focus, to the point where I forgot the other two were even there until they pointlessly reappeared in the climax. Thankfully, Simon McBurney provides the story with at least one supporting character about whom we actually learn something. He’s not much, but better than having no one at all.    

I appreciate that the film addresses the media’s role in these supernatural cases, particularly the debate surrounding the validity of the Warrens’ expertise. That being said, it only explores these ideas in the most superficial way imaginable, essentially dismissing the notion that ghosts/demons might not exist. It’s as if the writers think all those pesky skeptics should have to prove that ghosts DON’T exist, as opposed to the other way around. 

Wan’s direction feels more confident this time around, once again manipulating the audience in ways that maximize the many jump scares. These are smart, well-paced jolts that improve upon the original by adding a much-needed visual element, helping to unsettle the viewer on an additional level. The designs for Valek and The Crooked Man add a certain X-factor to the experience that its predecessor lacks, the former instantly becoming one of cinema’s most iconic horror villains since the turn of the century. 

Although specific sequences/scares are well-paced, the film’s overall flow feels odd. For example, the Warrens and the victimized family don’t even meet until halfway through. Even more so than its predecessor, the runtime is padded with multiple unnecessary sequences solely designed to thrill, but, in reality, only serve to elongate the experience to an annoying extent.

Overall, this is an improvement on the first film, even though it contains more flaws. Its upgrades slightly outweigh its regressions, resulting in another spooky, fun time at the movies. That being said, the script is far less intelligent than its predecessor’s, but it still provides everything that made the first film so popular, plus a little bit more. If you enjoyed the original, it’s a safe bet that you’ll feel the same about this one. If you’re on the fence, however, just don’t expect it to win you over in a way that the original can’t. B-