The Conjuring 2

It’s not just the main characters who are familiar in The Conjuring 2, but so is the setting — an anonymous old house with creaky doors, flickering lights, a dark basement, and some antique trinkets destined to turn into demonic props.

So even if the basic storyline is different, this slick and stylish sequel to the inventive 2013 horror flick overall lacks the freshness and imagination of its predecessor.

Set several years after the original film, it again follows 1970s paranormal investigator Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) and his wife, Lorraine (Vera Farmiga), who is still having nightmares from the couple’s involvement in the notorious Amityville case. Meanwhile, the Warrens face increased public scrutiny for their methods and church involvement.

Across the pond, working-class British mother Peggy Hodgson (Frances O’Connor) suspects that her family’s house is haunted, as she shares tales involving demonic possession of her youngest daughter and late-night visits from ghosts. So she calls upon the Warrens, whose confrontation with the tormented spirits leads to an inevitable showdown that might either validate the couple’s claims or risk further skepticism.

Just as with the first film, The Conjuring 2 finds its origins in real-life events, which it proves with still photos and recordings over the closing credits, although one assumes that the details have been significantly embellished.

Returning director James Wan (who also helmed the first two installments of the Insidious franchise) has developed into quite a visual craftsman within the genre. Here, his combination of special effects with clever camera angles and movements enhances the tension more than the mediocre script often warrants.

Likewise, the film is more ambitious in its plotting than you might expect, yet from a narrative perspective, its two geographically diverse ideas feel awkwardly pushed together. There are some unsettling moments, to be sure, but most of the scare tactics feel generated more through gimmicks and manipulation than genuine suspense.

It winds up too deliberate and repetitive in its approach, which leads to a third act that doesn’t have a sufficient payoff, but rather just more of the same cheap thrills, red herrings, and religious mumbo-jumbo.

Perhaps Wan and his team lack the courage to follow through on their character-driven convictions. Like its various supernatural nemeses, The Conjuring 2 is creepy on the surface but rarely gets under your skin.

Rated R, 133 minutes.