Based on events in real life, Carolyn and Roger Perron, together with their children, move in a farmhouse in Rhode Island back in 1971. As they move in, strange things starts happening around the house that terrifies their entire family. Carolyn seeks help from paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren to take a look at their house. True enough, the couple finds out that a malevolent creature (it is clarified that it is not a spirit) is haunting their house and is threatening to harm their family by possessing Carolyn. The Warrens must now do what they can in order to put a stop to this demon before it hurts everyone involved, including them.
It's been a while since I've seen a horror movie that will really haunt me before I go to bed. Usually I'd just forget them after watching it.
The Conjuring is great in so many levels. What I really love about it is its smart and witty scares. This is what I look for in the horror movies I watch. There's nothing I hate more than a movie which uses cheap scares. Though Evil Dead also did a good job in turning the cliche into something new and scary, The Conjuring takes it up a notch and makes sure to send chills down your spines and keep you at the edge of your seat. This is the film that I needed to see after watching The Purge which uses the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to scaring people.
The story is very simple yet very effective. It's about a family that moves into a house that turns out to be haunted. There is a minor twist to who or what is haunting the house but aside from that detail, the rest is your normal horror story line. What makes is so different and unique from the rest is its execution. There are numerous horror movies out there that sound so good when you hear about it but you end up being disappointed when you watch it because it is not executed properly. The Conjuring, right from the start will literally scare you witless. The introduction of Annabelle, the haunted doll, is a great teaser to the entire film. Some were disappointed though since Annabelle is not given much spotlight since it turns out she is just a filler, well sort of. However, I look at it the other way around and I believe that Annabelle's story is a great stepping stone for the rest of the film. Right after Annabelle's story, the film allows the people to relax a bit but makes it impossible to do so since everyone is now wary of what might be lurking around the corners of the screen. I like how it does not rush into things. It keeps the film's mystery and thrills the audience even when nothing is happening yet. I am in love with how the film keeps on teasing and making the audience imagine the scariest thing that could happen, which would eventually not end up happening. When the moment comes wherein you start to relax, even for just a second, the film will suddenly surprise you with all of its might. I have to add that the trailer for this movie is also well done. When you see the film, having watched the trailer beforehand, you think you know where the scary parts are but it turns out the trailer is another ploy to add thrills and to scare the audience when they finally watch the movie.
Despite being a great film, it is not completely perfect. As the movie progresses, I keep on waiting for a twist that will happen in the end. Sadly, nothing happens that will blow my brain. Not unless if you count its suggestive thought for a sequel at the end, which there will be. I guess they took the simplicity to heart. The film is not completely void of twist and turn of events though since it did keep a few secrets of its own that will be thrown right at you as you watch the film but you wouldn't really count them as plot twists.
The scare and thrills in the third act of the film wanes from what was established in the earlier parts. It is still good but the decline is quite noticeable. It's probably because I keep on thinking of The Exorcist which is a really creepy and scary film that will never be forgotten. The Conjuring is a good film but probably can't hold a candle near The Exorcist.
The film is set to have a sequel which is a good excuse for numerous plot holes they leave in the movie. So if you have seen the movie and felt dissatisfied because of the plot holes, then worry not because hopefully the sequel will satisfy your hunger for closure. I'm not really a fan of sequels since they are mostly of low quality compared to their predecessor, but I'll give the sequel a chance for closure.
Overall, The Conjuring is a great horror film and it is a great addition to the horror/possession/exorcism genre we have today. We need more of these films since people have been so engrossed to the 'vengeful ghost' movies that they can't take these types of films seriously. This is probably one reason why some people thought that this film was not even scary. They now probably think that when a movie is of the horror genre, it's all about a vengeful ghost of a girl in a white cloth.
Rating: 4/5
