"The Conjuring 2," to say the least, was a movie sequel that was the perfect balance of horror, humor, mystery, and surprisingly, heart. I enjoyed the first movie immensely, thus, I had high hopes for the sequel. I am proud to say that I was not disappointed. If you were unsure whether or not to go see this film, I am here to say that you should head over to your local theater as soon as you can and make sure you have a friend to hold onto throughout.
To start, the horror of the film ranged from all different styles of scares so that your spine was always tingling. You'll be constantly looking over your shoulder in the movie theater, waiting to see a ghostly nun. This film sticks to its genre beautifully, but as I will further discuss, it brings in surprising humanity amidst all the screams. The humor as well, surprisingly, was never out of place in this genre; in fact it was absolutely needed. The horror brought screams to our lips and humor was there to provide laughter; a juxtaposition that is a central theme of the film.
As this is a spoiler-free review, I will just mention a particular moment within the film that isn't really a spoiler, but more as a sudden calm within the film. As the spiritual horror sweeps audiences away in terror, there comes a moment in the film where Patrick Wilson's character, Ed, picks up a guitar. He begins singing Elvis Presley's famous love song, "Can't Help Falling in Love With You" for the family that is being haunted.
Not only was his voice a soothing breath of air from all the tortured horror, but it brings tears to your eyes when he gets the haunted family to sing along with him as his wife, played by Vera Farmiga, watches all of them with a tender smile. In a movie where the spiritual entity doesn't let you or the poor characters catch a break, it was a pleasant turn that the director chose to take.
It reminded the characters and the audience that despite the battle they were facing, they were a family. Ed and Lorraine were husband and wife, not simply paranormal fighters. We were all reminded about how our ability to comfort one another in times of hardship can outweigh any of the negativity in our lives, whether paranormal or mundane.
All in all, "The Conjuring 2" was a pleasant sequel that doesn't simply surpass the first film, but adds more layers to it as well. If you plan to watch this film, but haven't seen the first one, I would highly recommend doing so. Not only do the two films connect organically, but it is an absolute pleasure to go on this journey with Ed and Lorraine Warren once again.
