Fear is a weird thing because it’s so subjective, yet James Wan somehow found a way to bottle a specific, universal brand of dread. If you go back and watch the Conjuring 2 trailer today, you’ll realize it wasn’t just a marketing tool. It was a masterclass in pacing. It didn’t just show us clips of the movie; it built a standalone experience that made millions of people afraid of their own shadows before they even stepped into a theater.
The year was 2016. Horror was in a strange place, shifting away from "torture porn" and back toward the prestige supernatural thrills that The Conjuring had popularized three years earlier. When the first teaser dropped, it didn't rely on cheap gore. Instead, it leaned heavily into the "Enfield Poltergeist" lore, a real-life case from the late 70s that still sparks heated debates among skeptics and believers.
The Anatomy of Tension in the Conjuring 2 Trailer
Most trailers give away the whole plot. They show the jump scares, the big reveal, and the resolution. But this one? It played a different game. It focused on the atmosphere of a rainy, bleak London suburb.
I remember the first time I saw it. The screen goes dark, and you hear Janet Hodgson’s voice—scary, distorted, and sounding way too old for a young girl. It’s that rasp. The trailer uses that audio to ground the supernatural in something visceral. It's not just a ghost; it's a possession.
James Wan is a nerd for the "long take." Even in the promotional cuts, you see the influence of his cinematography. The camera lingers. It refuses to look away from the dark corners of the room. This creates a psychological effect where the viewer starts looking for things that aren't there. You’re scanning the background of the frame, heart racing, waiting for a curtain to twitch or a shadow to move.
Why the "Crooked Man" and "Valak" Worked
The marketing team was genius for how they teased the antagonists. We didn't get a full look at the Nun (Valak) immediately. We got glimpses. A painting. A shadow in a hallway. The trailer showcased the now-famous scene where Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) follows a shadow into a study, only to realize the shadow is moving independently of any light source.
Then there was the Crooked Man. That zoetrope scene? Pure nightmare fuel. It tapped into a very specific, childhood-rooted fear of nursery rhymes turned sour. By showing just enough of these entities, the the Conjuring 2 trailer ensured that the audience's imagination did 70% of the heavy lifting. That's the secret sauce of high-end horror marketing.
Real History vs. Hollywood Dramatization
You can't talk about this trailer without talking about the real Enfield Poltergeist. The trailer opens with the "True Story" claim, which is a staple of the franchise, but Enfield is arguably the most documented case of paranormal activity in history.
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Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair, the real-life investigators (played by Simon McBurney and Cary Elwes in the film), spent months in that house. They recorded thousands of incidents. The trailer uses the actual recordings—or at least high-quality recreations of them—to blur the lines between fiction and reality.
- The Knocking: In the real case, the family reported constant rhythmic knocking on the walls. The trailer uses this as a percussive beat to build tension.
- The Levitation: There are famous black-and-white photos of Janet Hodgson seemingly "floating" in her bedroom. The trailer recreates these images with cinematic polish, making the impossible feel tangible.
- The Voice: Janet allegedly spoke in a deep, gravelly voice belonging to a man named Bill Wilkins. The trailer uses this dialogue to establish the stakes. It's not just a haunting; it's an identity theft of the soul.
Honestly, the skepticism surrounding the case makes the trailer even more effective. You have the Warrens coming in as these seasoned experts, but the trailer also hints at the doubt they face. It creates a "us vs. the world" mentality that makes you root for the characters before the movie even begins.
Breaking Down the Visual Cues
Watch the color palette. It’s muted. Grays, deep blues, and mustard yellows. It feels cold. When the trailer shifts from the Warrens’ sunny home in America to the dreary Enfield house, the visual contrast tells you everything you need to know. You feel the dampness. You feel the poverty and the desperation of the Hodgson family.
There's a specific shot in the trailer involving a room full of crosses. They start turning upside down, one by one. It's a simple practical effect, but the way it's edited—the sound of wood scraping against wood—is what sticks. It signifies a total loss of safety. If your religious icons can't protect you, what can?
The editing also avoids the "fast-cut" fatigue of modern action trailers. It lets the silence sit. Horror is 90% sound design, and the the Conjuring 2 trailer understands that silence is often scarier than a loud bang. When the music drops out and all you hear is the creak of a floorboard, your brain goes into overdrive.
The Cultural Impact of the Reveal
When this trailer hit YouTube, the comments sections were a war zone. People were arguing about the legitimacy of the Warrens, the "hoax" of the Enfield case, and whether James Wan could top the first film. It generated a level of hype that's rare for a sequel.
It also solidified the "Conjuring Universe" as a powerhouse. Without the success of this specific trailer and its subsequent movie, we probably wouldn't have the Annabelle spin-offs or The Nun. It was the proof of concept that audiences wanted a serialized world of ghosts and demons that felt interconnected and grounded in "history."
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Dealing with the Jump Scare Fatigue
By 2016, audiences were getting tired of loud noises masked as scares. The the Conjuring 2 trailer leaned into "sustained dread." Think about the scene with the remote control and the television. It’s a slow burn. The channel changes. It changes back. There is a logic to the haunting that the trailer respects. It treats the ghost as a character with intentions, not just a gimmick.
I’ve talked to several film editors who point to this specific trailer as a turning point in how horror sequels were marketed. It stopped being about "more blood" and started being about "more atmosphere." They took the "less is more" approach, even though the movie itself is actually quite loud and bombastic.
Lessons from the Enfield Marketing Campaign
If you're a filmmaker or a fan of the genre, there’s a lot to learn from how this was handled. They didn't just sell a movie; they sold a legend. They used the "Based on True Events" tag not just as a footnote, but as the foundation of the entire 2-minute clip.
- Use the environment: The house in the trailer is a character. The peeling wallpaper, the cramped hallways, the basement—they all contribute to the feeling of being trapped.
- Focus on the children: There is something inherently primal about a child in danger. The trailer focuses heavily on Janet’s isolation.
- The Warrens as anchors: Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson provide the emotional weight. We see their fear, which validates our own. If the experts are scared, we should be terrified.
The legacy of the the Conjuring 2 trailer is its ability to linger. Even now, if you play it in a dark room, the hair on your arms will probably stand up. It’s a reminder that the best horror doesn't come from what we see, but from the terrifying things we're forced to imagine in the dark.
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To truly appreciate the craft, go back and watch the trailer side-by-side with the original 1970s news footage of the Enfield case. You'll see how meticulously the production design team mirrored the real-life setting. The red sweater Janet wears, the layout of the beds, the specific tone of the interviews—it’s all there. This commitment to "authenticity" (within the framework of a Hollywood movie) is why the franchise has such staying power.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the lore, start by researching the actual Bill Wilkins recordings. They are far more disturbing than anything a foley artist could dream up in a studio. Then, re-watch the trailer and notice how they used those real vocal patterns to influence the character's voice. It’s a chilling bridge between reality and cinema that few trailers have ever crossed so effectively.
Keep an eye on the background of the "painting scene" as well. There are hidden details that foreshadow the ending of the film which most people missed on their first ten viewings. That's the hallmark of a James Wan project—there is always something watching from the corner of the screen.
Actionable Steps for Horror Fans
To get the most out of your next horror marathon or to understand why these trailers work, try these steps:
- Analyze the Soundscape: Watch a horror trailer with the sound off, then with only the audio. You’ll realize the "scare" is almost always in the ears, not the eyes.
- Research the Case: Before watching a "true story" horror film, read the primary sources. For The Conjuring 2, look up the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) report on Enfield. It adds a layer of intellectual dread to the experience.
- Look for Practical Effects: Identify what is CGI and what is a practical rig. The "turning crosses" and "moving shadows" in the Conjuring universe are often physical effects, which is why they feel more "real" and unsettling than digital monsters.
- Study the Framing: Notice how often the camera leaves "dead space" behind a character's head. That's where your brain expects a ghost to appear, and trailers use this psychological trick to keep you on edge.