All Types

R (for terror and horror violence)

Horror

James wan

Chad Hayes, Carey Haves, David Leslie,  Jonshon, James Wan

Jun 10, 2016  Wide

$102,461,593.00

Warner Bros. Pictures                                                                                                                                                                                                                 With the inevitable sequel, returning director James Wan more or less repeats himself, but that alone is no small feat. Like its predecessor, it’s exceedingly well crafted, relentlessly terrifying and boasts characters you actually Root for.                                                                                                Before the duo arrive, Wan spends ample time with the British, working-class family being plagued by a very angry demon, to root you in their plight. Frances O’Connor, as the clan’s single mother who’s unsure of how to protect her family from the increasingly violent bumps in the night, is quietly heartbreaking. The four actors playing her children are equally compelling, with Madison Wolfe, playing 11-year-old Janet, the clear standout. As the child to receive the brunt of the demonic abuse, Wolfe registers fear more palpably that most scream queens twice her age.                                                                                                                                                                      By the time Ed and Lorraine show up, the strange occurrences have caused a media circus and led many to question whether the whole thing is a hoax put on by Janet. Run Lola Run’s Franka Potente is all sassy eye-rolls as a dubious sceptic out to make an example of the family.
                                                                                                                            In a film that’s chock-full of dread (Wan wrings great use of out of every dark corner captured by cinematographer Don Burgess’s roving camera), it’s the smaller, personal touches that go a long way to making every scream count.
                                                                                                                            When Ed sits the distraught family down for an Elvis sing-a-long to calm everyone’s nerves, you half expect Wan to cut it short with a gotcha jump-scare – because typically, that’s what these films do. But Wan is too talented a film-maker to cheapen the moment. He’s invested in the inner lives of every character. So when the horror hits, it cuts close to the bone.
                                                                                                                                  The Conjuring 2 opens on 10 June in the US and on 17 in the UK