Simple supernatural horror in the hands of a skilled director

Rating: 9/10 (1 September 2016)

This is what it looks like when you take a decent script and put it in the hands of a highly skilled and experienced director in the prime of his career.
James Wan directed the first Saw movie, as well as The Conjuring, and the Insiduous movies. He also directed Furious 7 and is currently working on Aquaman. It almost seems like he is showing off in this movie. It seems like he is having fun and pulling all his tricks out with confidence and ease to make a movie that is just plain awesome.
This is one of those movies that could have been terrible with the wrong director. The script really isn't anything all that special. It works, but there is nothing terribly new and original here, and the resolution to this movie is so bad it made me laugh out loud. (**Spolier**) This big powerful demon is terrorizing this family throughout the movie, and Lorraine is able to destroy it by "saying his name." And guess what? The demon told her what his name is... oops! I guess the demon didn't think that one through very well. To be scared of this demon for over an hour and then see the whole problem solved because she simply says his name, after he told her what it is, was kind of a let down for me. But then again, we're talking about demons here, so it's all kind of silly to begin with, and there really isn't any solution that would make much logical sense.
That being said, I don't really watch a movie like this for the plot, I watch it for the horror, and this movie has lots of it. They used a clever plot device that the demon is "hiding" by acting through other spirits. This gives the director a chance to use a wider variety of techniques and keeps things interesting. It's clear that James Wan really knows what he is doing and he plays with everything from CGI, to stop-motion, to jump-scares, and creepy sound effects. He has a lot of tricks in his bag and it makes for a movie with some great scenes.
He is especially good and using cinematography and color grading to darken areas of the frame just enough that you can't quite make out what you're looking at. I can't think of many other directors who do this as often and as well, but it really works.
Another scene I really love is the one with Lorainne by herself where the painting comes to life. Scenes like that are so cool, so well directed, and so scary, that they are instant classics in my opinion. If I were teaching a class on the greatest scenes in horror films, there are a few in this movie that would make the list.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are no strangers to horror films. Besides being in both Conjuring movies and the Insiduous movies, Vera was also played the mom in Orphan, another great horror film. I think they were well cast and do a good job playing Ed and Lorraine. This movie relies heavily on child actors, which can be tough, but they all do a great job. The main girl who plays Janet is really the main character in this film, and she does an admirable job. I found it somewhat unconvincing at times when she was doing the different demon voices, but I don't think that is her fault.
If you are a fan of horror, you will love this movie. Don't go in expecting a great story, but you can expect to see a really scary movie with a director who has become a master of his craft and is really given an opportunity here to do what he does best.