A Haunting in North London

The second and far superior sequel to come out on June 10 is director James Wan’s much anticipated follow-up to his 2013 chiller ‘The Conjuring.’  ‘The Conjuring’ is one of the best horror movies in years with its mastery of technique, attention to detail, creepy atmosphere, nail-biting tension and sympathetic characters whom we care deeply about in the Perron family.   So how is Wan going to keep the sequel from waning (excuse the pun)?  By doing exactly the same things with a new set of sympathetic characters whom we can emotionally invest in, of course.

Based on the so-called “Enfield Poltergeist” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2054842/Enfield-Poltergeist-The-amazing-story-11-year-old-North-London-girl-levitated-bed.html) in 1977, ‘The Conjuring 2’ brings back our favorite real life ghost-busting couple, Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, doing a decent Elvis impression below and Vera Farmiga), as they’re commissioned by the Catholic Church to look into possible paranormal activity that’s haunting the Hodgson family in Enfield, England.  It appears that the youngest daughter, Janet, may be possessed by the ghost of a previous occupant of their house, a grumpy 72-year old man named Bill Wilkins.  Ed and Lorraine must call upon their experience and expertise to either help the Hodgsons (if it’s real) or disprove their claims as a hoax and publicity stunt. 

What sets ‘The Conjuring 2’ apart from the spine-tingling original is that it focuses on Ed and Lorraine as much as their latest foray into the realm of the paranormal.  Drawing faith, strength and resolve from one another especially in times of crises, the Warrens are truly greater as a whole than the sum of its parts and their love for each other is real and everlasting.  Against such an unbreakable bond, how can the forces of evil (in this case a demonic entity named Valak who looks like Marilyn Manson wearing a nun’s habit) prevail?

Grade: A-