The Conjuring 2 is still strong, but weaker than the original
Film: The Conjuring 2 (2016). Young Actress: Madison Wolfe, age 13.
Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Little Children, and Vera Farmiga, Orphan), the husband-wife paranormal investigators who saved the day in The Conjuring, are back again. In this film, they travel across the pond to Enfield, a borough of north London, where the Hodgson family is being plagued by an angry poltergeist. A lot of the activity is centered on the two Hodgson daughters, 11-year-old Janet (Madison) and teenager Margaret (Lauren Esposito, age 18, in her first film role). Janet is a large role to play, and Madison impressively rises to the task of it with a believable, vulnerable performance.
A demonic voice starts speaking out of Janet while she and Margaret are being interviewed for TV.
While still an above-average horror film, this sequel isn't as good as the original. In the first film, Lorraine immediately sensed an evil spirit haunting the Perron family and believed their story, but with the Hodgsons, her ghost/demon detector is conveniently broken. She, Ed, and other characters spend much of the movie debating whether Janet and Margaret might be faking the paranormal activity. In one somewhat silly scene, to rule out the possibility of Janet faking an old man's voice, they ask the haunting spirit to speak through her while she drinks a glass of water. The film also relies on the cultural differences of England and the United States more than it should - their accents, calling cookies "biscuits," and the scene-establishing montage set to "London Calling" - and some of the quaint English charm feels forced. But these are overlookable flaws, and I would still recommend this movie for Madison's performance in it. Whereas The Conjuring was more of an ensemble with six young actresses, a lot of this sequel hinges on Madison.
Young actresses Sterling Jerins and Emily Tasker have smaller roles as Ed and Lorraine's daughter Judy (Sterling, reprising her role in the first film) and Janet's school chum Camilla (Emily), with about one scene each.
LINKS
Review of the first film, The Conjuring (2013).
Other reviews of Madison's films: Trumbo (2015).
Awards: Nominated for Favorite Thriller Movie at the People's Choice Awards.
Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Little Children, and Vera Farmiga, Orphan), the husband-wife paranormal investigators who saved the day in The Conjuring, are back again. In this film, they travel across the pond to Enfield, a borough of north London, where the Hodgson family is being plagued by an angry poltergeist. A lot of the activity is centered on the two Hodgson daughters, 11-year-old Janet (Madison) and teenager Margaret (Lauren Esposito, age 18, in her first film role). Janet is a large role to play, and Madison impressively rises to the task of it with a believable, vulnerable performance.
Click to viewA demonic voice starts speaking out of Janet while she and Margaret are being interviewed for TV.
While still an above-average horror film, this sequel isn't as good as the original. In the first film, Lorraine immediately sensed an evil spirit haunting the Perron family and believed their story, but with the Hodgsons, her ghost/demon detector is conveniently broken. She, Ed, and other characters spend much of the movie debating whether Janet and Margaret might be faking the paranormal activity. In one somewhat silly scene, to rule out the possibility of Janet faking an old man's voice, they ask the haunting spirit to speak through her while she drinks a glass of water. The film also relies on the cultural differences of England and the United States more than it should - their accents, calling cookies "biscuits," and the scene-establishing montage set to "London Calling" - and some of the quaint English charm feels forced. But these are overlookable flaws, and I would still recommend this movie for Madison's performance in it. Whereas The Conjuring was more of an ensemble with six young actresses, a lot of this sequel hinges on Madison.
Young actresses Sterling Jerins and Emily Tasker have smaller roles as Ed and Lorraine's daughter Judy (Sterling, reprising her role in the first film) and Janet's school chum Camilla (Emily), with about one scene each.
LINKS
Review of the first film, The Conjuring (2013).
Other reviews of Madison's films: Trumbo (2015).
Awards: Nominated for Favorite Thriller Movie at the People's Choice Awards.