The director does not know what they want to do with this. Is it elevated religious horror? Is it wacky biothriller? Is it gonzo body horror? There are some fun ideas in here that under more adept hands could be fantastic, but they are executed so poorly that they make the movie that much worse. Some spooky atmosphere toward the start, but so much poor execution and so many threads that lead absolutely nowhere that this isn't even fun dumb, it's just bad dumb
So much better than the first one. Valak is way scarier in this one, the plot holds together much better, and the movie looks way better as well. It went a little off the rails in the third act, especially when
goatman satan started running around. Valak also felt weaker in the 3rd act than throughout the rest of the movie, and Maurice basically turned into a mindless meat terminator. In short, all of the enemies felt weaker, dumber, and goofier in the third act. The deus ex machina also felt incredibly cheap and unearned (if Sister Irene had the power in her the whole time then what was the point, and why did it not play a role during the events of the first film?)
Until then, however, the movie has a fun sort of horror-tinged Da Vinci Code feel to it. The movie has some surprisingly pleasant (although uneven) cinematography as well (with some direct callbacks to the look of The Exorcist at certain points too). There were a couple unintentionally funny scares, but in general the scares were fairly effective and there was a good use of tension and visuals. The acting was surprisingly good, especially from the kids (although the accents in this movie were confusing and all over the place, which was definitely distracting). Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, and, despite its huge flaws, I think it is one of the stronger recent entries in the Conjuring-verse. It also seemed to be very aware of the mistakes of the first movie and did its best to work with the material provided, which bodes well for future entries in the franchise.
Additional assorted thoughts:
That magazine-flipping scene went on for waay too long. It would have been much more effective if cut way shorter. Felt like it went on forever lol
It is canon that a still-possessed Maurice is exorcised by the Warrens later on, so the ending felt empty. Hopefully the inevitable 3rd installment provides a satisfying bridge
The inclusion of the mid-credits scene felt like an incredibly cheap way to shoehorn the Warrens into the movie (and it felt like the scene was not even originally filmed to be in regards to the subjects of this movie)
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the massive influence of the stoner noir of Robert Altman/The Long Goodbye, pairing it with Hitchcock and Mulholland Drive for a post-modern take on the subject of the stoner detective
It has bad pacing problems, especially throughout the beginning, and a bland storyline and script that definitely feels like two disparate storylines smashed together; however, the movie shows promise when Taika Waititi's voice shines through, particularly in the scenes where he conceptualizes Hulk as an overgrown tantrumous child and the ones which include his own character (the most clear depictions of his style of comedy), Korg. Overall not bad, but underwhelming
Simply amazing. Beautifully shot, suspenseful, morally complex story. I feel like it delves into much more complex and dark subjects than many other films of its time as well. Also so ahead of its time technically.
Holy shit. Edge of my seat for the entire movie. So amazing. A mind-twister that delves into the psyche of someone who is both being stalked and always in the public eye
It was funny. Not transcendental in any way, but the guy who played Kim was great. I think people might have been expecting more just because of the hype
Beautifully shot and great acting (especially knowing that many of the actors were actually just residents of the City of God). That structure tho… amazing. So well put together. Pieced together like all these different stories that tell the greater story of, a) the narrator's life, and, b) the history of the city itself
A very interesting doc, not only into some of the top students in a very niche, beautiful field of study, but also into the minds of the people going through all this pressure to be perfect and to be focused on being the best in the world
Comments 1 - 14 of 14
Movie comment on Immaculate
schneid67
The director does not know what they want to do with this. Is it elevated religious horror? Is it wacky biothriller? Is it gonzo body horror? There are some fun ideas in here that under more adept hands could be fantastic, but they are executed so poorly that they make the movie that much worse. Some spooky atmosphere toward the start, but so much poor execution and so many threads that lead absolutely nowhere that this isn't even fun dumb, it's just bad dumbMovie comment on The Nun II
schneid67
So much better than the first one. Valak is way scarier in this one, the plot holds together much better, and the movie looks way better as well. It went a little off the rails in the third act, especially whenAdditional assorted thoughts:
It is canon that a still-possessed Maurice is exorcised by the Warrens later on, so the ending felt empty. Hopefully the inevitable 3rd installment provides a satisfying bridge
The inclusion of the mid-credits scene felt like an incredibly cheap way to shoehorn the Warrens into the movie (and it felt like the scene was not even originally filmed to be in regards to the subjects of this movie)
Movie comment on Under the Silver Lake
schneid67
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the massive influence of the stoner noir of Robert Altman/The Long Goodbye, pairing it with Hitchcock and Mulholland Drive for a post-modern take on the subject of the stoner detectiveMovie comment on Thor: Ragnarok
schneid67
It has bad pacing problems, especially throughout the beginning, and a bland storyline and script that definitely feels like two disparate storylines smashed together; however, the movie shows promise when Taika Waititi's voice shines through, particularly in the scenes where he conceptualizes Hulk as an overgrown tantrumous child and the ones which include his own character (the most clear depictions of his style of comedy), Korg. Overall not bad, but underwhelmingMovie comment on The Barber of Seville
schneid67
What is he, some sort of instigator?Movie comment on Jesus Camp
schneid67
The scariest horror film I've ever seenMovie comment on Faust: Eine deutsche Volkssage
schneid67
It's beautiful. Like a painting. Every shot is amazing. The part in the middle might drag a bit, but it's so worth it and so good regardless.Movie comment on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
schneid67
Brutal. That's all I can say. So real and so amazing. Great horror cinematography as wellMovie comment on M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder
schneid67
Simply amazing. Beautifully shot, suspenseful, morally complex story. I feel like it delves into much more complex and dark subjects than many other films of its time as well. Also so ahead of its time technically.Movie comment on Pâfekuto burû
schneid67
Holy shit. Edge of my seat for the entire movie. So amazing. A mind-twister that delves into the psyche of someone who is both being stalked and always in the public eyeMovie comment on The Interview
schneid67
It was funny. Not transcendental in any way, but the guy who played Kim was great. I think people might have been expecting more just because of the hypeMovie comment on Cidade de Deus
schneid67
Beautifully shot and great acting (especially knowing that many of the actors were actually just residents of the City of God). That structure tho… amazing. So well put together. Pieced together like all these different stories that tell the greater story of, a) the narrator's life, and, b) the history of the city itselfMovie comment on Somm
schneid67
A very interesting doc, not only into some of the top students in a very niche, beautiful field of study, but also into the minds of the people going through all this pressure to be perfect and to be focused on being the best in the worldMovie comment on 8½
schneid67
Beautiful. Like a dream. Scorsese said that this film and Peeping Tom say everything there is to say about film making