The Conjuring:
Ed and Lorraine Warren were true-life paranormal investigators back in the 60's and 70's, they investigated thousands of disturbing and creepy cases, including the infamous "Haunting in Connecticut" (which was made into a film in 2008) and the atrocious "Amityville Horror" (another famous horror story turned into a film, which is alluded to at the end of this film). One case, the case of the Perron Family of Rhode Island, was so traumatizing and distressing they have kept it a secret... until now. What entities did the Perrons see in their home? I'll let you see the film for yourself for the answer to that question. Although not as creepy and spine-chilling as Wan's earlier film Insidious, or last year's Sinister, The Conjuring still manages to pack quite a punch. The film came under controversy because the MPAA rated the film R, not for gore or sex or violence or swearing, but merely for it's scare factor. Wan attributes this to the fact it was based on a true story, elevating it. And there is no doubt, this actually happened. The ending credits show newspaper clippings and photos of the Warrens and the Perrons, as well as the places and things the Warrens investigated, including a very disturbing doll. Lorraine Warren makes a brief cameo in the film, and she even visited the set, and the Perrons were interviewed in promos for the film. The main cast od an excellent job. Patrick Wilson (who starred in Wan's film Insidious, and appeared in Little Children, Watchmen, Hard Candy, The Alamo, The Ledge, The A-Team, Prometheus, and The Phantom of the Opera) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed, Up in the Air) do a great job as the likeable couple Ed and Lorraine Warren. They're kind, decent people, and also have a young daughter to take care of, which makes you really care for them, and hope nothing bad happens to them. Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under, Ransom, The Haunting, I Shot Andy Warhol, Say Anything, Mystic Pizza) and Ron Livingston (Office Space, Sex and the City, Band of Brothers, Standoff, Defying Gravity) are good as the loving parents of the Perron family. Taylor especially is great during the scenes in the latter half of the film, which require a great deal of physical commitment, and often are tough on the body. The kid actors, including Joey King (Oz the Great and Powerful, Ramona and Beezus, New Girl, Jericho) do a fantastic job, similar to Ty Simpkins in Insidious, as their emotions feel very authentic, and not forced. Even though this is a true story, so you know nobody actually dies, the tension is still really great. You really feel tense wondering what's going to happen to the characters, and feel extremely on edge when they are in peril or in the presence of spirits. The musical score, while a bit too similar to Insidious (it is scored by the same composer), still is very effective in creating a mysterious and chilling atmosphere. Fun fact: Joseph Bishara, composer for this film and Insidious, plays the main antagonist, an evil ghost named Bethseba. He also played the main evil entity in Insidious. Another strange thing, in both those films the terrifying old women spirits are actually male actors in drag, as Wan says it gives them a very unsettling look, and that you can't quite tell what gender it is. Because it's based on a true story, it's not as stylized as Insidious, but it is still able to deliver quite a few tense moments and great scares. Since it is set in the 70's, it employs practical effects and old-fashioned scares, with little gore and tons of great, intense buildup. This is somewhat of a trademark in Wan's films, as even in the first Saw film (the only one that he wrote and directed), there's actually very little gore, and it's all about the story, performances, and suspense. That's something I really enjoy about his horror films, and films from Scott Derrickson like Sinister, they're actually scary and original concepts, and have some great actors in them. Similar to both Insidious and Sinister, this film has an excellent sound design, although I still think Sinister has the best music and sound design out of the three, with Insidious at a very close second. The Conjuring is a scary, entertaining, suspenseful, nail-biting horror-thriller, with great performances and some fantastic scares. James Wan, you've done it again! Honestly, if you're reading this, I feel you are one of the most underrated directors working today. 4/5 stars
Note: It is odd to see a horror film released in the middle of Summer, during blockbuster season, which not only shows the studios trust Wan to make movies people enjoy and want to see, but realize that horror can be successful year-round, no matter the competition.
If you wish comment below: list, from least to greatest, which of these three you found scariest: The Conjuring, Insidious, or Sinister. Or these three: Haunting In Connecticut, The Amityville Horror (original), or The Conjuring (all based off cases the Warrens investigated) (Those are the order I have them in, I'd love to see yours.)
A review I liked:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD-3j_BnZAE
(Image: Wikipedia)
Conjuring, Insidious,Sinister
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