Director James Wan once again brings us back to the place where nightmares are born. Known for movies like the original Saw, Insidious, and Dead Silence, Wan has experience with horror movies, and he truly displays it in this movie. The Conjuring shows Wan flexing his artistic horror muscles and bringing out all the best of his directing. With powerful performances, good pacing, and a lot of suspense, The Conjuring proves to be a frightful well-made scary movie.
The Conjuring tells the true story of two paranormal investigators, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), who embark on their most terrifying case in history. When Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) move into their new house with their five daughters, everything seems fine. But then the noises start. As time passes, the odd noises and creepy voices intensify, until one night when everything goes wild and a demonic spirit makes its presence known. Fearing for their lives, the Perron family seek Ed and Lorraine to purify their house. But things won't be easy. This demon is not going down without a fight. Based on the horrifying true story, The Conjuring is a demonic tale of one family against the one of the most evil things on Earth.
If you can sit through this entire movie without being slightly scared at least once, then bravo to you. The Conjuring is like the Amityville Horror on steroids. This is not a ghost story. This is a demon story. And it is this difference that makes this movie much more frightening than other horror movies out there. Even more terrifying, it's based on a true story. Therefore, you can't say, "It's just a movie. It's not real - it's just a movie," because these events actually took place. And the events simply seem real due to excellent pacing and wonderful performances.
Not once did I look at my watch during this movie. From start to finish, there are scares along the way to keep you at the edge of your seat the entire time. It's not like some haunted house movies where things finally start to happen an hour into the movie. This film cracks the creepy meter up within the first five minutes. And the suspense is perfectly placed. The music builds up at all the right times and you are left wondering what could be behind the next corner. The first half of the movie is built more on loud noises and creepy voices to make you jump in your seat while the second half is more character-driven and focuses on the evil of the demon.
The acting in this movie from all the actors is just great. Being based on a true story, the characters had to feel real - and they do. I never once doubted them and they fit into their roles. Of note, Lili Taylor does a brilliant job as the worn-down mom who wants her children to be safe and Vera Farmiga does well as the medium who has seen to much. All the children do wonderful acting scared out of their wits and the men of the film do great too. Without spoiling who, the person who becomes possessed near the end does a superb job acting as a demon, doing pretty much everything except for spinning his/her head!
The Conjuring is a well-made horror film that is sure to intrigue and frighten a wide variety of audiences. It's the kind of movie that makes you keep your light on at night and hang crosses all around your room. If nothing else, this film will definitely make you want to pick up that dusty, old Bible and start reading it, because you never know when a demon will strike. I highly recommend this movie if you're looking for a quick scare and I suggest seeing it in theaters first for the full effect.
RATING: 4.5 / 5
This movie is rated R (intense and frightening scenes)
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