Last seen helming Furious 7 - and doing a fine job too - James Wan returns to more familiar horror territory with The Conjuring 2. Based on another of Ed and Lorraine Warren's real life paranormal investigations, the story is entirely separate from that of the surprise 2013 smash, The Conjuring. What links the two is that Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga get to reprise their roles, as they investigate the Enfield Poltergeist. They arrive at a family home that's plagued by malicious spirits: cue flickering lights, creaking doors and switches - and voices definitively unbecoming of a pre-pubescent girl coming from the mouth of 11-year-old Janet Hogdson, portrayed quite brilliantly by Madison Wolfe. James Wan isn't one to go for the easy option. Rather than succumb to the cliched mix of shaky cams and smash-cuts, The Conjuring 2 is a highly stylised and technical piece of film-making. The camera-work is wonderful - for instance, the use of the panning shot across the entire upper floor of the spacious family home is iremarkable. Even the '70s fashion properly feels relevant to the theme.
The Warrens can be a bit schmaltzy - check the Elvis singalong - but set against the prevailing doom, their all-American earnestness feels right. Furthermore, the presence of sceptics, most notably in the form of parapsychologist Anita Gregory (Franka Potente), offers a counter-balance of sorts to the suspension of disbelief otherwise required. The effect, of course, is that the entirely unsympathetic dismissal of the highly likeable (albeit demonically tormented!) child ultimately pushes you towards believing her side of the story. James Wan isn't intent on reinventing the wheel here, but as a wholly entertaining and satisfyingly jumpy romp, The Conjuring 2 is another winner. This particular franchise might just have long legs.
Rating: 3.5/5