The Conjuring (B or 3/4 stars)
'The Conjuring' (directed by James Wan, the Saw movies), is one of the spookiest haunted house/demon possession films that I've seen in some time; bringing to mind such supernatural horror classics as the incredible The Exorcist. James Wan gives the film a slow, but intense sense of foreboding. Dread permeates the screen. Subtle sound effects, haunting music, creepy locales, & an eerie mood go a long way in making it successful, as well. While 'The Conjuring' is said to be "based on a true story" {... please}, familiar supernatural horror tropes are everywhere. The story transpires in 1971 Rhode Island & takes its time introducing us to 2 groups of characters on 2 different tracks who will eventually come together midway through the film.
The 1st group of protagpnists are our film's victims, the Perron family: Roger (Ron Livingston), his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor), & their 5 young daughters. They've recently bought (for a cheap price, clue #1 that something is up) a colonial mansion on a lake in a wooded area in Rhode Island -- creepsville. It doesn't take long before strange things start happening in their new house: dead animals start piling up; rooms become ice cold; passageways are found which lead to the basement; god awful smells at 3:07 a.m.; doors that blow open & slam shut; mysterious skin bruises; images in mirrors; & the always unsettling bumps in the night that don't sound quite right. The Perrons slowly, but surely realize that something is terribly wrong in this old, creaky house. And the degree of their torment only escalates.
The 2nd group of protagpnists consist of married couple Ed & Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga), famed demonologists (or ghostbusters, really) who travel around the U.S. investigating suspected paranormal activities. More often than not, they discover normal explanations for ghostly/demonic occurrences. However ... there ARE times when they have to call in a priest to perform an exorcism. This couple is intelligent, calm, & competent at what they do. So when things get nutty & a demon needs to be purged, they keep things on the level; or try to. But by the time Carolyn comes begging to the Warrens for help, the situation at her home has become more serious with ghosts/demons taking complete control. Craziness ensues.
'The Conjuring' represents a rare, rare thing: an R-rated horror flick that relies more on slowburn intensity, suspense, & scares than blood and/or gore. This is predominantly a haunted house/ghost tale and, as such, is mostly without the kind of slice-'em-dice-'em slasher or 'torture porn' aspects that you normally see {thank GOD}. 'The Conjuring' isn't groundbreaking/original, but James Wan uses well-worn horror tactics to good effect. He also plays with us viewers; establishing long continuous takes, zooms, & odd camera angles without any payoff ... only to have the "boo!" come a few beats afterwards. I'm reminded of a unique point-of-view shot that occurs when one of the young daughters looks under her bed & we see what she sees from upside down; and then the camera whirls up as she does.
Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga make a great team. They play their characters as normal, loving people who are completely invested in helping others. They exude a sense of calm in the storm, so to speak. Vera Farmiga is especially impressive; making every ghost sighting & response matter. On the flip side, we have Lili Taylor & Ron Livingston, desperate, verging on frantic as they find themselves being victimized by creatures from a bygone time. I particularly enjoyed seeing Lili Taylor again, as I have fond memories of her from another of my fave horror film's 1999's The Haunting remake. For the most part, the characters here are believable. And that's a testament to the acting. The writing is laudable, as well; depicting 2 strong women characters who are fiercely protective of their children.
And so, 'The Conjuring' mounts tension that creates a fun, if intense 2 hours (for instance, a kids' game of hide-&-clap has never been so scarily cringe-inducing). I enjoyed the 1st 1/2 of the film more than the 2nd. The ending goes a bit crazy with an exorcism, but it by no means ruins the overall experience. In fact, 'The Conjuring' wraps up the story quite effectively -- something that you almost never see in horror films. Seeing it in a theater full of fellow screamers aided my unease, of course. But the scare tactics + showing the monstrous demons only sparingly is what made the proceedings all the scarier. It's the kind of film that will make you look under your bed at night. The result is a frightening film that kept me on edge & eager for the next moment to raise my sweater over my eyes.
The 1st group of protagpnists are our film's victims, the Perron family: Roger (Ron Livingston), his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor), & their 5 young daughters. They've recently bought (for a cheap price, clue #1 that something is up) a colonial mansion on a lake in a wooded area in Rhode Island -- creepsville. It doesn't take long before strange things start happening in their new house: dead animals start piling up; rooms become ice cold; passageways are found which lead to the basement; god awful smells at 3:07 a.m.; doors that blow open & slam shut; mysterious skin bruises; images in mirrors; & the always unsettling bumps in the night that don't sound quite right. The Perrons slowly, but surely realize that something is terribly wrong in this old, creaky house. And the degree of their torment only escalates.
The 2nd group of protagpnists consist of married couple Ed & Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga), famed demonologists (or ghostbusters, really) who travel around the U.S. investigating suspected paranormal activities. More often than not, they discover normal explanations for ghostly/demonic occurrences. However ... there ARE times when they have to call in a priest to perform an exorcism. This couple is intelligent, calm, & competent at what they do. So when things get nutty & a demon needs to be purged, they keep things on the level; or try to. But by the time Carolyn comes begging to the Warrens for help, the situation at her home has become more serious with ghosts/demons taking complete control. Craziness ensues.
'The Conjuring' represents a rare, rare thing: an R-rated horror flick that relies more on slowburn intensity, suspense, & scares than blood and/or gore. This is predominantly a haunted house/ghost tale and, as such, is mostly without the kind of slice-'em-dice-'em slasher or 'torture porn' aspects that you normally see {thank GOD}. 'The Conjuring' isn't groundbreaking/original, but James Wan uses well-worn horror tactics to good effect. He also plays with us viewers; establishing long continuous takes, zooms, & odd camera angles without any payoff ... only to have the "boo!" come a few beats afterwards. I'm reminded of a unique point-of-view shot that occurs when one of the young daughters looks under her bed & we see what she sees from upside down; and then the camera whirls up as she does.
Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga make a great team. They play their characters as normal, loving people who are completely invested in helping others. They exude a sense of calm in the storm, so to speak. Vera Farmiga is especially impressive; making every ghost sighting & response matter. On the flip side, we have Lili Taylor & Ron Livingston, desperate, verging on frantic as they find themselves being victimized by creatures from a bygone time. I particularly enjoyed seeing Lili Taylor again, as I have fond memories of her from another of my fave horror film's 1999's The Haunting remake. For the most part, the characters here are believable. And that's a testament to the acting. The writing is laudable, as well; depicting 2 strong women characters who are fiercely protective of their children.
And so, 'The Conjuring' mounts tension that creates a fun, if intense 2 hours (for instance, a kids' game of hide-&-clap has never been so scarily cringe-inducing). I enjoyed the 1st 1/2 of the film more than the 2nd. The ending goes a bit crazy with an exorcism, but it by no means ruins the overall experience. In fact, 'The Conjuring' wraps up the story quite effectively -- something that you almost never see in horror films. Seeing it in a theater full of fellow screamers aided my unease, of course. But the scare tactics + showing the monstrous demons only sparingly is what made the proceedings all the scarier. It's the kind of film that will make you look under your bed at night. The result is a frightening film that kept me on edge & eager for the next moment to raise my sweater over my eyes.