I guess this post is going to fit perfectly for a day like Halloween, not that I plann for it but this is a series I wanted to take on now that The Conjuring franchise is done, well who knows because the other day saw some articles saying now they planning to run a few spin off. The Conjuring came out back in 2013 and it pretty much reminded everyone that horror does not need to rely on blood and guts to scare the shit out of people, this is the fifth movie to watch in chronological order on the story, James Wan was fresh off Insidious and decided to go all in with this one, the whole thing got rated R just because it was scary, no nudity, no over the top gore, just pure tension and that freaky atmosphere that makes people jump out of there seats. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play Ed and Lorraine Warren, these paranormal investigators who actually debunk fake haunting before they go full exorcist mode on the real stuff, I liked that angle because it makes them more believable, not just some random ghost hunters looking for attention, in fact there are scenes on the movie where they explain this to a couple who said there was something at their house and it was just the wind in the attic. The thing is these two have amazing chemistry together and you can tell they care about each other as a couple in the movie, there relationship is probably the strongest part of the entire movie and the entire franchise, its the main reason I kept watching because the Perron family they were sweet but did not really grab my attention the same way Ed and Lorraine did, Wilson has this charm to him even when hes doing exorcisms and Farmiga plays the clairvoyant wife with such grace that you believe everything shes seeing is real to her. The opening with the Annabel doll is supposed to set the tone but honestly I found it a bit weak compared to what comes later, those two girls telling there story about how the doll moved around there apartment and left creepy notes everywhere should have been more scary but the acting felt off and it did not land for me like it should have, still the doll design is nasty looking and I get why it became its own franchise even tho I think Annabelle is actually the weakest part of this whole universe.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1457767/
- Platform: PRIME VIDEO
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The movie has this very familiar formula where the Perron family moves into a creepy old farmhouse in Rhode Island and things start going south real quick, there dog dies on the first night which is always a bad sign, clocks stop at exactly 3:09 AM which we find out later has something to do with the witching hour and when bad stuff went down on that land, doors slam on there own, bruises appear on the moms body over night, the basement smells like rotting meat and gives off this energy that makes you never want to go down there ever and by the way they didnt even knew there was a basement because the entrance was cover up, big RED FLAG moment right there but you know how stupid scary movie victims can be. Director James Wan knows how to build that tension slow and steady until it hits maximum freak out levels, the first half drags a little bit but thats kind of needed for these types of movies, you can not rush the buildup or else the scares do not have the same effect, its like let it build up the tension so when they hit actually freak you out, enough signs but not the entire story at once. One of the best scares is that hide and clap game where the mom is blindfolded playing with her youngest daughter and you see these hands come out from inside the closet door and clap, its such a simple idea but it works because the demon is literally toying with its prey before executing perfectly. Another scene that really freak me out was when one of the daughters wakes up in the middle of the night and sees someone standing in the dark corner of her room, the corner is so dark your eyes start playing tricks on you and you swear you can see something there even tho the movie does not show you anything clearly but she sells it so good, then the girl gets her feet grabbed and pulled which is probably peoples worst nightmare, you can be awake and I swear the moment you feel something landing in your feet, damn bounce from bed like a spring or just tuck your feed inside the bed like its holy territory.
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The whole backstory about Bathsheba Sherman is where things get realy interesting for me because aside from the scares they start to build up this entire story and they have to figure the why of things, she was this witch who lived on the land back in the 1800s and sacrificed her own baby to Satan then hung herself from the tree in the backyard cursing anyone who would ever live there, its heavy stuff and the movie does a good job making you believe this history is real, there is this scene where Lorraine sees her daughter on the water that scare her to death. From what I could find on ther ineternet the Warrens have a controversial history and lot of people think they were just frauds who took advantage of family going through tough times but putting that aside and just enjoy the ride because Wilson and Farmiga make them so likable that you want to root for them. Across the movie you fan fee that the scares are not cheap jump scares with loud noises, James Wan builds atmosphere and a story to follow, when Lorraine is outside hanging sheets and the weather suddenly changes and one of the sheets blows off revealing Bathshebas ghost standing in the window staring at her, that whole scene is chilling and it happens in broad daylight which makes it even creepier because your supposed to feel safe during the day, thats what Hollywood horror stories have teach us. The practical effects for the possession scenes are really solid, when Carolyn the mom gets fully possessed her face looks so painful and raw with veins popping through her skin and her eyes all dead looking, the makeup work here is fantastic and way better than if they had used CGI.
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Getting close towards the end is where everything goes absolutely crazy, this is when Carolyn gets fully possessed by Bathsheba and tries to kill her own daughters, Ed has to perform an emergency exorcism without the church permission because theres no time to wait, they tie her to a chair and cover her with a white sheet which becomes this creepy visual as she coughs up blood all over it and then the sheet rips revealing the witches face mixed with Carolyns, its disturbing as hell. The chase scene through the basement when Carolyn is crawling through the walls going after her daughter April is one of the most tense moments in the whole thing, having your own mother hunt you down while possessed is such a messed up concept and the movie really leans into that fear, the camera work here is great with shots that make you feel like your right there with them running for your life. Ed finally gets through to Carolyn by reminding her of her family and her love for her children which breaks Bathshebas hold on her partially, its a bit cheesy, I know, with the whole power of love saves the day thing but it works in the context of this movie because its always been about family from the start, the Warrens have there daughter Judy who they protect, the Perrons have there five daughters who they would die for, so having that be the solution feels earned even if its not the most original way to end an exorcism.
My only concern with this movie is that I could see certain scares coming from a mile away which killed some of the tension for me on first watch and the ending felt kind of abrupt like everything just wrapped up too fast after all that buildup, I would have prefer if they had to do something more critical or if Lorraine had some sort of power to get into Carolyn mind and help her from the inside and not just "remember the love for your family", one minute Carolyns possessed and trying to murder everyone and the next minute shes crying and hugging her kids and everyone fine. Also that Annabelle subplot with the Warrens daughter back home felt forced like it was just a commercial add for the next movie in line and the CGI on the rocking chair flying too dark for my taste but I guess its because they didnt want to show anyone else than the doll so who throws the chair?, those are minor complaints tho because overall The Conjuring does its job incredibly well, its one of those movies that makes every little sound in your house feel suspicious after watching it, you start sleeping with the lights on and making sure your feet are within the bed perimeter, it reminds you why horror does not need to be blood, loud noises and sex. For me this is a solid 8 out of 10 for being creepy without going into cheap tricks, there is this massive franchise behind this movie that has been hit or miss that I still enjoy.
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