Review of The Conjuring (2013) by Jimmy K — 14 Jul 2014

Despite being relatively unknown, James Wan is easily one of the most influential filmmakers of the last decade. His breakout film, SAW, redefined the horror-gore genre as something more than just an excuse to watch naked teens be murdered; SAW (SAW 1, mind you) added a level of intrigue and uniquely philosophical horror to a genre that was quickly becoming stale. A villain that, for all intents and purposes, was a complete monster but also managed to force sympathy from the audience provided an inventive, disturbing twist that left viewers squirming as much as during the violence.

Unfortunately, Wan then took a backseat to the franchise, only stepping in once more to pen the third film and the first video game. Now, his pattern seems to be repeating itself in regards to the Insidious and Conjuring franchises, as he is stepping away to direct Fast and Furious 7. It is safe to assume that the quality will dwindle without Wan behind the wheel, but knowing that this opens Wan up for new endeavors after FaF7 should provide hope for any devoted fans.

Luckily, even as he seems to not particularly enjoy making sequels, Wan continues to dole out brand new material time and time again, and more often than not, do so well.

The Conjuring is one of tthose films that was done just right. Wan doesn't go too far off the reservation when it comes to plot in The Conjuring, but at the same time manages to avoid any cliches. Instead, Wan feeds off established horror movie doctrine by setting up the audience for an "unexpected" scare, then actually delivering a truly surprising turn of events.

Tracking shots establish a living, breathing world constantly in motion while Wan's signature - a deafening score just as eery as the film itself - grants the movie a sense of otherwordly hyper-reality. This style falters from time to time, however, almost reminding th e audience that it is all just a movie. However, the stellar cast and cookie-cutter (yet somehow completely new) characters help to maintain the illusion just enough.

Wan even manages to provide a solid ending that opens up the film to sequels without the usual "they're not really dead!" twist. Wan is adept at world-building and it's no wonder studios are always eyeing his film as franchise opportunitites. However, Wan seems to be simply trying to provide a classic horror experience that leaves people wanting more; satisfying that desire, however, can sometimes lead to unexpectedly terrible results (see: Sam Raimi's Spider-Man), and it seems that Wan knows this.

All in all, The Conjuring is a film that hearkens back to the classics of the mainstream horror genre, emulating films like Psycho and Scream. Providing just enough mystery to keep its audience searching for more information, then giving them a good jolt instead, The Conjuring manages to not only defy expectations, but use them to scare the living crap out of people.

4.75 out of 5.