The Crooked Man always did seem like a creepy nursery rhyme...

Rating: 7/10 (20 June 2016)

James Wan, perhaps the premiere modern horror director ("Saw," "Insidious"), makes graphically regal films that often exceed the genre's visual conventions. His popular "Conjuring" films give him the opportunity to show that skill. With gorgeous period-piece settings, the general warmness to the coloring works as a nice counterpoint to the scares. While this newest entry doesn't quite sidestep all of the clichés in modern horror (giggling children, creepy toys, red herring scares), it does askew some. The just-brainy-enough storytelling mixed with the super strong direction make it a distinctly solid studio horror trip. Based on "true events," we find paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren traveling to the UK to study a peculiar and sinister haunting of a young, single-parent family. Along the way, some plot conveniences and illogical creature rules haunt the proceedings. Luckily, these are overshadowed by some fantastically creepy monster designs, including a boldly sadistic nun-figure and a terrifying rendition of the "Crooked Man" nursery rhyme, all underscored by effectively cool music and sound design. By now, Wan has proved he knows what he's doing in the scare department. However, some surprisingly adept humor cuts through the horrific drama, allowing the themes of family and dangerous commitment to shine through. But what really makes the whole thing work are the people. In spite of the few plotting flaws, in the center of the story are characters you wanna root for. They are funny, loving, sympathetic and real; they are human-feeling people who make human-feeling decisions. With this beautiful control over tone and character, Wan feels only a step away from making a true masterpiece. Until then, this will more than do.