What scares you?
It’s pretty easy to see what scares James Wan. The director’s sense of cinematic fear was clearly formed by the horror films of the ‘70s and‘80s, his work often recalling hits of the era like “The Omen” and “Poltergeist.” In many ways, “The Conjuring 2” is the “ultimateJames Wanfilm, ” allowing the filmmaker to play with styles of the era in the retelling of one of its most notable paranormal activities: the notorious Enfield poltergeist.
Being able to tie the “true story” behind another horror classic from his youth to this one ( “The Amityville Horror”) only sweetens the deal. Wan is a kid in a haunted candy store with “The Conjuring 2” and his talent ( and that of his team) make this kind of ride enjoyable, even if it doesn’t have the visceral, confident impact of the original.