The Conjuring is a Truly Chilling Experience: A Movie Review

*full disclosure: a Blu-ray screener of this film was provided by Warner Bros.

Director: James Wan.

Writers: Chad Hayes and Carey Hayes.

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston.

This film fan is familiar with director James Wan's work in horror and thrillers. This critic has seen the psychological thriller Saw (2004) and 2007's dark action film Death Sentence, both from Wan. But, there has not been a film from Wan that has been as thrilling as The Conjuring, to date. This restricted and exceptionally chilling feature is one of the more successful horror films to be released and there is a reason why. This film is terrifying. The Conjuring's atmosphere, tone, story telling techniques along with a strong directing style create a truly horrifying experience, which should not be missed.

The story is based on a case from real life paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga). Together, these two supernatural researchers worked on over 10,000 supernatural and hoax cases over their careers. One of Ed's longest lasting and most indelible works involved the Perron family. This family took up residence in Rhode Island, in a large converted farmhouse. Shortly after moving into this 19th Century residence, the Perrron's began to experience strange events, of a paranormal nature. Ed and Lorraine were then brought in to investigate a potential haunting. What they found was truly of the netherworld.

Don't Pull Back the Sheet!

Wan is able to create a convincing and very chilling atmosphere in this film. Spirits do appear visually in the film. However, there is an emphasis here on what cannot be seen. The musical score and soundtrack produces eerie silences, in dark environments. This combination of sound and dark atmosphere is exceptionally disturbing, leading up to future more visually stunning confrontations. When the sparse supernatural visuals do appear, a witch appears hanging from a tree limb, a demon possesses and bloodies a mother, and other spirits emerge from shadows. These visuals are often only shown partially in frame, which creates even more horror by not showing the viewer the full figure, or picture. This title is horrifying on a number of levels, but the atmosphere is the film's strongest and most terrifying element.

The approach to storytelling in The Conjuring is also appealing. The film begins with a dual narrative as the Warrens go about their supernatural cases and the Perrons experience more and more bizarre events. Eventually, these two stories merge out of necessity. Once the characters are merged, more truth about the home's haunted and Satanic background is revealed. The story is also told in a believable fashion. The Perrons seem like your average American family and the Warrens are not from a religious background. These very normal characters develop over time, which allows the story to also develop at a reasonable pace, as well. Also, the story brings certain Gothic elements to the forefront: a haunted manor, misty cellars and hidden rooms. The story's haunting aspects are emphasized by these darker visual elements. The story is told in a compelling fashion both through the visuals and through the character's chilling experiences.

The Conjuring is both a chilling and entertaining time. This is a high production feature, from one of the up and coming masters of horror cinema. Wan has shot a visually appealing film, by creating tension in both atmosphere and tone. As well, the supernatural elements are introduced simply and sparsely at first, before dominating the film in later frames. There is a lot of action here and conflict. The Perrons are confronted by spirits, but much of that action is kept off-screen until late in the picture. What you cannot see, but still hear is what creates some of the most spine-tingling sequences. The Conjuring is an excellent horror film, on many levels.

This title recently released on home video formats (Oct. 22nd, 2013) and horror fans are highly encouraged to seek out this terrifying feature. Truly remarkable, there is little doubt that this film will make it on 28DLA's Best of Film movie list. From start to finish, The Conjuring is a well told supernatural film, which will leave a mark on most who see it. A visceral experience, this horror title actually brought out physical symptoms in this watcher. It truly is a sight to both see and experience.

Overall: 8.5 out of 10 (a compelling story with believable characters, excellent use of sound design, lots of spirits and a horrifying climax).

A trailer for this feature is available here:

The Conjuring Trailer on 28DLA


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Posted in: 2013,haunted,haunted house,james wan,movie,movie review,patrick wilson,review,supernatural