Parents' Guide to The Conjuring 2

Movie R 2016 133 minutes
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Common Sense Media Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson By Jeffrey M. Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Well-made, thoughtful sequel is VERY scary.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

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  • The Conjuring 2 Trailer
  • The Conjuring 2 Movie: Scene #1
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Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 32 parent reviews

 

 

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age 13+

Based on 114 kid reviews

Kids say the sequel is generally scarier and better than the first, with many memorable jump scares and frightening imagery, although some feel it’s not as terrifying as advertised. Most reviewers agree that it targets older teens with its disturbing content, while a few describe it as suitable for younger audiences who enjoy horror.

  • scary sequel
  • jump scares
  • older teens
  • disturbing content
  • mixed opinions
  • improvement over original
Summarized with AI
 

 

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What's the Story?

Several years after the events of The Conjuring, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) become involved with the famous Amityville haunting, which makes them famous. Not long after that -- despite the fact that Lorraine is haunted by foreboding visions -- they agree to investigate a possible possession in Enfield, England. A young girl named Janet (Madison Wolfe) has been channeling the ghost of an old man, and the spirit has been wreaking havoc on Janet's family -- including her single mom (Frances O'Connor) and her three siblings. But despite witnessing some scary paranormal events, Ed and Lorraine are unable to establish any hard proof. Not even the clairvoyant Lorraine can sense anything. Is it a hoax or merely a diversion?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 32 ):
Kids say ( 114 ):

While this very scary sequel is a bit on the long side, director James Wan is at the top of his game, taking a great idea and turning it into a rare, thoughtful chiller that ponders the metaphysical. It was evident in the original The Conjuring that the Warrens would make great "ghostbuster"-type characters for any number of sequels, and The Conjuring 2 has delivered on that promise. Farmiga and Wilson have made their husband-wife team interesting, engaging, and worth following into any haunted place.

Meanwhile, Wan has turned into an astounding genre director, perhaps the best of his generation, displaying a powerful grasp of visual space, rhythms, and sounds that deserves comparison with John Carpenter and Wes Craven. Even though The Conjuring 2 is quite long (133 minutes), it never overstays its welcome. Best of all, the "true story" aspect demands that viewers ask questions about the world we live in; how much do we really know to be true?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Conjuring 2's violence. What purpose does it serve? Is it thrilling or horrifying? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • How scary is the movie? What are the scariest parts? What's the difference between jump-scares and other kinds of scares? Does a movie have to be violent to be scary?

  • How does the "based on a true story" aspect affect the movie? Do you believe that this scary stuff, or something like it, actually happened?

  • Are the Warrens role models? How do they help the people who reach out ot them?

  • How does the film address the topic of bullying? Why is it important to stand up for those being bullied?

Movie Details

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