Review of The Conjuring (2013) by Zach W — 10 Jun 2017

The reality of demons and what they could do, frightens all.

The Perron family, consisting of a father, mother, and five daughters, sink all of their money into a new home, only to discover that it is haunted by a demonic presence, a witch that, after being caught trying to sacrifice her newborn child in the name of Satan, hung herself out of love for him instead. Needless to say, family time quickly becomes fright night.

The daughters aren't given a whole lot of background or personalization, except for April, who connects to one of the more docile spirits. It would seem the reasoning for this is because the witch targeted April from the beginning, as we find out towards the end of the film.

All things considered, the reason that "The Conjuring" is such a good horror film isn't because of its jump-scares, its hellish images, or the diabolical behavior of the demon-witch. The horror in this movie comes from the concept of spiritualism, how both the forces of good and evil can be overwhelmingly compelling...even enough to cause a mother to murder her own child, a horror most parents cannot fathom. What makes all of this so frightening is the possibility of it becoming a reality for the viewer, and how it makes one wonder, just what the hell is out there.