Review of The Conjuring (2013) by Nesbitt10 — 18 Jul 2013

"The Conjuring" is an enjoyable, spine-chilling paranormal saga directed by James Wan ("Saw", "Insidious"), and it has already been given the green light by New Line Cinema for a sequel before the first installment has even hit theaters on July 19. A welcome throwback to classic 1970s chillers, with spectacular production design work, a well-constructed script, impressive atmospheric set pieces, and rounded out with terrific performances from Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. The film primarily utilizes the old bag of tricks for scares very effectively, creating a terrifying atmosphere of bloodless scaremongering.

Set in the 1970s, "The Conjuring" tells the story of husband-and-wife demonologists Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson), and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), who are best known for their case involving the Amityville Horror, and are now investigating the secluded Harrisville, Rhode Island home of Carolyn and Roger Perron (Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston.) The family has recently moved into the house with their five daughters (Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, Mackenzie Foy and Kyla Deaver), and have begun experiencing a series of unexplained occurrences. Lorraine immediately detects that something isn't right in the house, and the pair conclude that the Perron's home is possessed by multiple demons, with their initial investigation revealing that the trouble may have begun as far back as the Salem Witch trials. Meanwhile, the Warren's presence enrages whatever is within the house, and the supernatural activity escalates to terrifying levels.

James Wan and his group of frequent collaborators are clearly well in sync for "The Conjuring." The film nods its head to everything from "The Exorcist" (1973) to "The Amityville Horror" (1979), while developing an atmosphere of trepidation, with well-timed scares that will keep viewers on the edge. All the ingredients of a standard paranormal story are present: a haunted and secluded house, a peaceful family being terrorized, strange noises in the night and its all-familiar territory. However, the film is so finely tuned, it comes across as a respectable homage to the genre. It's reassuring to see a genre film that contains a compelling story and has interesting characters, rather than serving up a number of teenagers ready to be tortured.

"The Conjuring" is primarily intended as a haunted-house attraction, a ride through a hall of nerve-racking horrors. Wan's direction is perfectly paced, pulling off some properly scary set pieces (a game of 'hide and clap'; some business involving a mirror and a music box), and slowly ratcheting up the tension. The frightening escalation of events gives a permanent tension in a feature film that is certainly predictable, but smoothly conducted to satisfaction.