An accomplished sequel that I enjoyed just as much, if not more than, the first.

Rating: 8/10 (11 February 2018)

Despite the occasional tonal relapse and iffy moment of forced comedic levity, 'The Conjuring 2 (2016)' manages to maintain a consistent level of quality by providing the tension and suspense we've come to expect from this series in spades. It is actually probably scarier than the first thanks mainly to the fact that the threat feels palpably deadly almost right from the start of the stellar set-up. This instalment also manages to create a couple of memorably creepy supernatural creatures that frighten with their superb and unique design alone, yet are still treated with the respect that Wan clearly has for the genre and the general craft - which here he seems to have mastered, able to play the audience like a finely-tuned piano. Character maintains a prevalent factor throughout, though, meaning that we truly care for the people at the heart of these dangerous situations. It's a wonderfully accomplished sequel that I enjoyed just as much, if not more than, the first. Again, one of the best horror features in quite some time. 8/10