Based on the true events that took place after Ed and Lorraine Warren worked on the Amityville haunting, The Conjuring 2 re-enacts their experiences during their next paranormal investigation. After taking a break in order to expel their own demons, the couple find themselves drawn to London where a young girl is said to have been possessed by the soul of an elderly ex-tenant. It is here that they begin to question the validity of the family’s testimony while also trying to figure out a way to drive the spirit out before it has an irreversible impact on all of their lives. Faith and reason collide as the pair work together with other experts to try and figure out the next logical step for them to take.

There was a time not too long ago when Hollywood horror movies weren’t able to match the jump scares seen on the international market. Then James Wan came along and showed how it was done with scares that keep on scaring to the point where you can practically feel the warm breath of each demon crawling towards you. The Conjuring 2 is perhaps his finest movie to date because it simply doesn’t allow you the respite that you expect. It’s a relentless movie. Time and time again scenes play out until adrenaline is pumping through every inch of your body and yet each scare is not simply a mindless jump in the dark, it is a crucial piece within a bigger picture.

The Conjuring 2 is not simply a horror movie. While it does indeed try to effectively replicate the feeling of tiptoeing through the dark at night or the sudden chill you feel on the back of your neck when you catch a glimpse of a face inside a shadow, it is also a fully conceptualised movie that uses over two hours of your time to present a fully-fledged story. The Warrens become the parents to the audience as they guide each viewer through the nightmare. While their own fears and doubts are always present, they are also cushioned by Wan’s desire to depict their unwavering unity in the face of danger.

It helps greatly that the movie is put together by a team who truly understand the history and potential of the horror genre. Even the opening title looks like something out of an old-school horror movie and the film is respectful to its sources even when it runs parallel to classics like The Exorcist and The Amityville Horror. If anyone else had made The Conjuring 2 it would most likely have been nothing more than a mediocre and forgettable movie. While it may seem similar to some of Wan’s previous films at times, The Conjuring 2 has enough twists and turns to still make it one of the finest horror works of the year. There is scepticism woven into the very fabric of the narrative and it will keep you guessing right up until the final sequence.

So, what score has this frightening tale conjured? We are giving it a good 7 out of 10.

Here’s the trailer

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