The Conjuring
Rating: 4.5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
Ed and Lorraine Warren are one of the most famous, and perhaps most important, paranormal investigators to have ever lived. They have tackled numerous cases of possession, and one of their most terrifying is the case of the Perron family. James Wan, who has already made a name for himself in the horror genre, decides to craft this horrifying film to tell the true story of the Perron case, which consists of terrific filmmaking techniques, great performances, and scares that will haunt the viewer a while after watching it.
The film has a fantastic opening segment, featuring the iconic Annabelle doll that the Warrens have kept in their house for decades. We find out how it came into their care, and perfectly sets up the tone and atmosphere for what the audience is about to witness. For the main plot of the film, the Perron family is being possessed by a malevolent spirit after moving into a secluded farmhouse. Not knowing what to do, Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and her husband Roger (Ron Livingston) call on Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) to help them get rid of the spirit that is tormenting them and their five daughters (Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, and Mackenzie Foy). However, the Warrens don't know what they are getting themselves into until the arrive at the farmhouse and encounter the demonic spirit head-on.
Wan definitely knows the horror genre very well, and he can easily terrify the audience. This film is no exception, with him pulling out nearly all the stops to sell the viewer that they are witnessing a demonic possession on screen. This isn't your run-of-the-mill jump-scare horror film, and it actually provides a basis for why it is scary and why these jump scares work so well. Wan is able to seclude the characters and viewer into this farmhouse setting for most of the film, which allows the tension and dread to rise as the film progresses.
From the atmosphere to the setting to the terrifying jump scares and the unsettling cinematography, all of these filmmaking aspects work incredibly well hand-in-hand. The tension and the dread is built up right from the start, and forces the viewer to watch as this family is continuously tormented and haunted by this demonic spirit. The jump scares are unique and unexpected for a majority of the time, reminiscent of those Wan uses in his Insidious film. He also utilizes the cinematography and the lighting to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat and terrified about what is going to happen next.
However, perhaps one of the best things Wan does it using the tension and the atmosphere to make the audience even more scared of the things they are not seeing. The human imagination is a wonderful thing, and sometimes it is much more frightening to imagine what is happening, rather than seeing it. Wan crafts this balance between the two that allows the viewer to imagine the horrific things that are going on, but also show them just a glimpse of what happened at this farmhouse. Consider when the family finds their dead dog outside; we see the body of the dog, but we don't know what truly happened to her. We can just assume and imagine how horrific the dog's death was, and what she unfortunately went through.
Farmiga and Wilson are fantastic as the lead characters, and they really have such amazing chemistry. Wan was able to take these two talented actors and put them on the forefront of this film as a married couple, and I think they do such a damn good job convincing the audience of their relationship and how they have experience dealing with spirits like these. They embody the role to perfection, and really have a grasp on the audience from beginning to end. At the same time, the actors who portray the Perron family are also giving incredible performances here, really allowing themselves to be committed fully to this role and the terror they have to portray on screen. I do wish we got more backstory and character development for each one though, as I feel like they really blend together throughout the course of the movie and I have a hard time distinguishing them.
Even though some of his films have been duds or some of his franchises simply don't work some of the time, there is no doubt that Wan is a master of horror. This movie is one of the numerous examples of his genius, and this is easily one of the best possession movies in modern times. While the rest of the Conjuring series has had a bunch of ups and downs, this movie alone just proves that Wan simply understands how to tell a great horror story on the screen, and utilizes all of his talents to the extreme.
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