As I watched The Conjuring 2 this afternoon, I found myself spastically reaching toward Michael’s arm and clasping his hand during the film’s intensity peaks.  And when we were in the middle of a jump-scare, my startle was often augmented by Michael, who would grab my hand and come close to squeezing it off.  In other words, The Conjuring 2 is scary, so unless you’re really emotionally stoic and relatively immune to anything horror, The Conjuring 2 promises you a few unsettling moments – at least.  Michael, who has been seeing horror movies with me since we started dating over a year and a half ago, said that this was the most afraid he’s been since he got used to seeing films from the genre.  I was scared too, but also intrigued.  In fact, I was not just intrigued, but impressed, as we watched the film.  The Conjuring 2 does not rely on fear alone, though the movie is scary.  It manages to be an incredibly satisfying, even emotionally moving story, at the same time.  In other words, the plot isn’t a mere vehicle for terrifying moments.  The Conjuring 2 is a well-developed film with a unique story line that “happens to have” a lot of scary parts.  And – bonus! – it’s based off a true story. Continue reading “A Scarier Sequel: Drama and Anxiety in The Conjuring 2” →