The Conjuring (2013)

The Conjuring (2013)

7/10

Starring

Vera Farmiga

Patrick Wilson

Ron Livingston

Lili Taylor

Directed by James Wan

I’m not a huge fan of horror movies because the thrill or chill you’re supposed to get is either overdone to the point that you end up hating the movie or just wishing you could shoot the director. This movie is not any different, it leans on familiar horror tropes, making some scares feel predictable. And the jump scares, while effective, felt overused.

But, I can boldly say this is a nice watch and note it is not all the time critics and moviegoers agree, but here’s an exception—a movie that will keep you glued.

My favorite part of watching this movie was the idea I had in my head that if I got up to go pee or moved my head, I’d miss something. So, I just sat there, glued, not wanting to be disturbed as I witnessed strange occurrences happening and two married individuals (very bold individuals) going up against the demon.
Ed and Lorraine Warren are paranormal investigators, with Ed being a noted demonologist, author, and lecturer, and Lorraine being a professed clairvoyant and light trance medium.
Some things are better left for the TV screen because I can’t imagine myself going into a haunted house like the Warrens for no reason at all. And the Perron family? They’re bold because if I witnessed something strange going on in my house, we’d all be moving out immediately.

The Conjuring is based on a true-life story concerning the events in the life of the Perron family, who experienced demonic episodes and a series of unfortunate events in their farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island, in 1971. Now, this movie does take artistic liberties concerning what really happened.  But according to what we see in this movie, the family reached out to Ed and Lorraine Warren for help, who then came to the house to investigate the happenings and exorcise the evil.

The idea of making the events that took place at the Perrons’ farmhouse into a movie began over 20 years ago, when Ed Warren played a tape of his original interview with Carolyn Perron for movie producer Tony DeRosa-Grund. DeRosa-Grund went through many ups and downs trying to get the movie made until he got a deal at New Line Cinema, and the movie went into production in 2012.

With all the information the production crew had, I would have expected more depth to the characters beyond their immediate fear and struggles. But this movie is what we get, and even though it may not scare you enough to jump off a cliff, but it will thrill you enough to keep you sitting tight. It is a good enough movie that I can ask you to go see.