The Conjuring — 2 -2016 2021

It’s the rare sequel that improves on the original. It gave us Vera Farmiga’s best scene (the vision of Ed on a spike), Patrick Wilson’s most heroic moment, and a demonic nun that—for one perfect film—was genuinely terrifying.

In an era of jump-scare compilations and “five nights at Freddy’s” quick hits, The Conjuring 2 is a slow-burn epic. At 134 minutes, it’s nearly a crime drama with ghosts. And it works because Wan understands that dread is a marathon, not a sprint. By the time The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It arrived in theaters and on HBO Max in June 2021, the franchise had become a machine. But The Conjuring 2 remains the heart of the engine. The Conjuring 2 -2016 2021

That scene—Ed strumming “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as the house crumbles—was mocked in 2016. By 2021, fans rightly called it the most emotional, unique exorcism scene ever filmed. Looking back from the perspective of a world deep into pandemic streaming, The Conjuring 2 offered something the 2021 sequel didn’t: patience . It’s the rare sequel that improves on the original

Re-released and re-streamed countless times during the lockdowns of 2020-2021, the 2016 sequel proved something crucial: real scares don’t expire. Let’s rewind to 2016. After the runaway success of The Conjuring (2013), expectations were impossible. Instead of playing it safe, Wan doubled down on the most controversial case in paranormal history: the 1977 Enfield Poltergeist. At 134 minutes, it’s nearly a crime drama with ghosts

While the 2021 The Conjuring 3 (directed by Michael Chaves, not Wan) leaned into courtroom drama and a less memorable villain, the 2016 film gave us a villain with rules. Valak fears the name of God. It twists scripture. It makes Patrick Wilson’s Ed Warren sing Elvis to fight back.