7/10
June 13, 2016
Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are back after a three year hiatus since the original film in 2013. The director of the first movie, James Wan (Saw and Furious 7), also returns. Is it as good as the original movie? Not quite, but it definitely has its charms.
This time the Warrens must travel to England where a single mother and her four children are being haunted by another alleged demon. One of the daughters, Margaret Hodgson (Lauren Esposito), it the main target of the attacks and possession. They attempt to get the police, media, and the church involved, but have no luck with any of them. The church then calls on the Warrens to come and investigate. It shares some similarities to the first movie, but considering the premise it is probably hard not to. It is well directed and provides another good, creepy demon/possession story in its own right. James Wan has definitely come a long way since Saw back in 2004. The first Saw was the best in the series, but still a far cry from any of the director’s recent films. The movie is also well acted with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga taking the spotlight with their excellent on-screen chemistry, but the family being haunted does a fine job as well. The movie does good on building a haunting atmosphere throughout the movie, as well as, having its fair share of jump out at you creepy moments. It even provides a slight twist, which you won’t see coming.
If you are a fan of the horror genre and/or the first movie, this is still one of the best horror movies in recent years. Most horror movies these days are severely lacking in the story or atmosphere department and only try for cheap scares or excessive gore. This is not one of those movies. I recommend giving it a watch.