While the original Saw gave James Wan his official debut and
Insidious gave audiences a real taste of what Wan’s style of filmmaking was, it
was The Conjuring that gave him the break he desperately needed. Aside from
being a critical darling when it came out, and being a friggin’ awesome horror
flick in its own right, it also proved that Wan wasn’t completely dependent on
Leigh Whannell’s scripting to deliver a gripping story. With a nicely retro
approach to scares and an insane level of dedication to adhering to the era in
which the story was set, not to mention a great cast, it’s the kind of horror
film that I can easily see being remembered several years from now.
Then came the spin-off film Annabelle, Wan teaming back up with Whannell for Insidious: Chapter 2, and then Wan being a creative consultant for Lights Out… wow, that’s a bad track record in terms of horror flicks. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the guy’s work but, in terms of confirming that this sequel to probably his most celebrated work will actually be a success, it is less than convincing, shall we say. Of course, because I will never get tired of saying it, I’m willing to be proven wrong on this one.
Then came the spin-off film Annabelle, Wan teaming back up with Whannell for Insidious: Chapter 2, and then Wan being a creative consultant for Lights Out… wow, that’s a bad track record in terms of horror flicks. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the guy’s work but, in terms of confirming that this sequel to probably his most celebrated work will actually be a success, it is less than convincing, shall we say. Of course, because I will never get tired of saying it, I’m willing to be proven wrong on this one.
