The release of The Conjuring: Last Rites has marked the fourth and final chapter in the story of Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren. However, Last Rites is far from the best movie in the Conjuring franchise. That honor belongs to The Conjuring 2.
Directed by James Wan, this horrifying sequel follows the Warrens as they investigate the 1977 Enfield poltergeist in London, England. Each film in the Conjuring franchise makes for a distinctive viewing experience. Nevertheless, The Conjuring 2 ranks above them all in terms of story, characters, and overall terror.
The first Conjuring film has a gripping story that gives a strong introduction to the Warrens and gives plenty of time to the Perron family. However, it focused a little too much on setting up the sequel, as well as the spinoff film, Annabelle. The Conjuring 2 feels more self-contained while also wrapping up all the hanging plot threats from the original film, including the Amityville investigation and the mystery of Valak’s (Bonnie Aarons) first encounter with Lorraine.
The Conjuring 2 balances the stories of the Warrens and the Hodgsons, with the former facing greater challenges and developing more in the face of their longtime enemy, Valak. While the ending doesn’t come down to the possessed Janet (Madison Wolfe) expelling Valak from her body like in The Conjuring, her reluctant decision to drive away the Warrens to spare her family makes for a darker character arc that shows how loving and protective she is.
Subsequent Conjuring movies didn’t focus as much on the families that the Warrens were trying to save from evil. Even though the Warrens are the main protagonists of the franchise, the people they were helping seemed to fade into the background as things heated up. With such a beautiful, concrete ending for everyone involved, The Conjuring 2 could’ve been a fitting end to the entire franchise.
The Conjuring franchise seemed to lose its terrifying spark without James Wan in the director’s chair after the second movie. While Michael Chaves did a decent job directing his two sequels, they didn’t have the creative and terrifying edge of Wan’s two films.
The Conjuring 2 featured plenty of clever scares, from the Crooked Man’s (Javier Botet) shocking reveal to Janet’s slow, out-of-focus transformation into Bill Wilkins (Bob Adrian) to Valak’s attack through Ed’s painting. While the film does have many jump scares, all these frightening moments defied the audience’s expectations.
That isn’t to say The Conjuring‘s scary moments weren’t creative. Moments such as the hide-and-clap scene and Bathsheba’s appearance on top of an armoire deserve recognition. However, the scares in The Conjuring 2 featured a lot more variety and distinctiveness, giving them a spot above its predecessor’s.
The villains of the first, third, and fourth Conjuring movies weren’t particularly memorable. Even Bathsheba (Joseph Bishara), the witch in the first Conjuring film, despite being one of the most terrifying villains, was very one-dimensional. All these sinister figures just seemed to be evil just for the sake of being evil.
The Conjuring 2 did some intriguing things with its antagonists. Bill Wilkins initially appears as a wicked, possessive spirit haunting the Hodgsons’ house. While he generates plenty of terror, Wilkins is revealed to be a puppet manipulated by the demon Valak.
The Conjuring hasn’t often portrayed its ghosts in a sympathetic light. They are hardly even fleshed-out characters. However, Bill’s storyline delivers a surprising twist not often seen in haunted house movies that makes the Warrens’ victory over Valak more rewarding.
Valak himself arguably became the most iconic villain in the Conjuring franchise, even more so than Annabelle. In his war against God, Valak took the form of a pale, ghoulish nun to make his human targets question their faith, attacking his enemies on a subconscious level similar to the demon Pazuzu in The Exorcist.
Valak has also had a huge impact on the Warrens, as he has tormented Lorraine long before they investigated the Hodgsons’ case. He also threatened to kill Ed, haunting Lorraine with visions of the latter’s death. The conflict became more personal and challenging for the Warrens, cementing Valak as the best villain in the Conjuring franchise. No wonder he became the subject of spinoffs.
Overall, the Conjuring franchise has had some emotional, creative, and frightening moments, but The Conjuring 2 worked well as a story about the Warrens and those they’re protecting. Though it was especially difficult for its successors to measure up to it, the movie showcased the franchise’s true, terrifying potential, further paving the way for one of the most popular cinematic universes ever.
Stream The Conjuring 2 on HBO Max. The Conjuring: Last Rites is now in theaters.
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