The Conjuring 2 (2016)

"The Conjuring 2" stars Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Frances O'Connor, and Madison Wolfe.  Released on June 10, 2016, the film has the Warrens traveling to England to help a family who is haunted by malicious spirits.

The film is directed by James Wan, who also directed films such as Saw, Dead Silence, Insidious, and Furious 7.  It is a sequel to the 2013 horror film, The Conjuring, also directed by Wan.  Like its predecessor, the film is based on the true story about Ed and Lorraine Warren taking on a paranormal case.  This time, it's the case of the Enfield Poltergeist from 1977 to 1979.  After taking on the action genre for the first time with last year's summer blockbuster, Furious 7, James Wan returned to his regular horror shenanigans to direct the follow-up to one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time.  I remembered seeing The Conjuring a while ago and it was pretty good, so I was interested in seeing how this latest sequel compares with the original, as always.  After seeing some pretty mediocre horror films so far this year, it's nice to see a genuine horror film that's actually quite good.

Pros:
The performances were really good.  Wilson and Farmiga had good chemistry together and Wolfe was stunning as Janet Hodgson.

Believable characters.

James Wan's direction was solid, successfully blending in the scares with the drama.

The creepy atmosphere and build-up matches the tone perfectly.

Some of the scares were pretty effective.

Cons:
A couple of horror cliches.

The third act's a little predictable, but has enough intrigue to keep me engaged.

A couple of minutes too long.

Final thoughts: Most horror sequels fell flat compared to their predecessors, but "The Conjuring 2" is the type of sequel that manages to offer what the original has to begin with.  It does have its share of horror cliches, but with its effective scares, believable performances, and Wan's solid direction, this is one film that will send chills down your spine.  Truth be told, I did end up screaming a couple of times throughout the whole film, mostly because of the spirits appearing out of nowhere.  Yeah, I am a wuss when it comes to horror films, but that's just how I roll.  I would probably recommend this sequel to those who like the original and to those who need a good scare this summer.  Just don't watch it in the dark or with your kids.   

B