OTT isn't scary.

Rating: 4/10 (19 June 2016)

I seriously don't get the hype around The Conjuring & Insidious. They go so over the top I can't take them seriously. What ever happened to a slow burn or subtlety in horror? Don't get me wrong, I love high concept horror or a good cheese fest too. Evil Dead, Poltergeist, Hellraiser... they're not exactly documentary level BUT Conjuring sets itself up as some kind of 'realistic' horror. Constantly reminding us 'Based on a true story' well then give me a little credibility. 'The Amityville Horror' or 'The Haunted' have a foot in reality that revvs up near the end to good effect. This film lets go of reality from the beginning and personally no amount of loud jump scares can make up for a complete lack of atmosphere.
They even cram in things that didn't even happen in the 'real' story. A freaking ghost nun demon? Or how about a scene were a dog turns into an 8 foot tall crooked man? A scene so far out the box even a Nightmare on Elm Street sequel looks low key by comparison.
The actors playing the mother Peggy and the oldest daughter put on the worst 'cockney' accents I've heard since my high school presentation of Oliver Twist.