I saw The Conjuring 2 and The Babadook these last two nights.
I'd forgotten how good the original 'Conjuring' was. Even if I'd remembered, I would've been skeptical because sequels rarely live up to the originals, but this one is practically as good as the original, IMO, and reminded me why I liked it. It's good enough that it could stand as its own film, which you can't say about many sequels. The setting switch to London keeps it from being too much like the original, but it still feels really tied to it by the 70s era. The sentimentality in the story is also very welcome in the genre. Though maybe partly because it's set 40 years ago, it feels a bit like a throwback to horror films from that era. Rarely do I watch a sequel and then hope that they make another, but I would welcome a 'Conjuring 3', since this is a solid franchise.
The Babadook (which could also be called "How Not to Parent") surprised me, as well. It's quite original as horror films go. It looks and feels like an art house film, as if it could've been purely a drama about a single mother raising a troubled boy (Oscar bait sort of stuff), except that it gets progressively creepier as a third character, the Babadook, comes between them. The performances from the mother and boy are excellent, much better than you normally see in horror films. Also, all of the effects are real. In other words, whenever you see the Babadook, it's actually in the shot (often using stop motion technique), not added in post-production. Finally, this also a horror film without a single cheap scare in it (i.e. no "jump scares"). It's just genuinely scary without resorting to tricks. In fact, I think that there was room to make it even scarier (specifically, by using the Babadook's voice more often, especially his "baba dook doook dooooooooook," which is one of the creepiest things that I've ever heard), but the director (in her directorial debut, even) really shows enormous restraint and doesn't overdo it. Anyways, the critical acclaim that this film gets is for good reason. If you like really intelligent horror films, you should check this out.
BTW, there's a really interesting theory (that's so perfect that it has to be true) about what the Babadook represents that can really increase your appreciation for the film and how intelligent it is:[spoil]The theory is that the Babadook represents grief. The mother unwittingly welcomes the Babadook into her house and denies its existence because she denies herself natural grief over losing her husband by refusing to talk about the accident or him. Only once she acknowledges that the Babadook--and her grief--exists does it stop casting a shadow over and tormenting them. It never fully goes away, as grief never does, but it can be managed by compartmentalizing it and not being afraid to "feed" it every now and then.[/spoil]
