Well acted and artfully crafted, The Conjuring is surprisingly fresh and totally works

Rating: 7/10 (19 July 2013)

Smartly crafted, truly convincing and surprisingly well crafted, this horror thriller is quite the success. The cast does a great job creating a believable story, especially Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson). Based on a true story, The Conjuring has the Warren couple facing their biggest challenge in a particular case with a family.
Despite the plot sounding rudimentary, it was surprisingly well told and was way more interesting than I had expected. It's the sub- plot of the Warrens that truly shines. It enables the audience to care for them, a character dynamic that usually is completely untouched in horror film. The rest of the cast is strong, creating something that finally isn't cheesy or cheap. There are barley any jump scares, which richened the experience. It was all tense build-up and the "fear of the unknown" that kept everything moving and my heart racing.
The film is also really well shot, and creatively done so too. The cinematography captures the nuance and subtlety that most horror films forget to included entirely, which was a pleasant surprise. The soundtrack fits the film well too, creating an intense experience. I really liked the multiple stylistic references to films such as the Exorcist and The Shining; they were smart and subtle and there purely for film junkies like me! There were a couple of cliché scenes and the special effects could have been better. Also, the characters introduced later in the film are pretty paper thin, and there are a couple of earnest comedic breaks that feel out of place.
Overall, I was truly surprised about how good The Conjuring was. I haven't seen a horror film in theaters...ever...and this was a good one to start with. The experience was rich with terror and scary without being cheap. I enjoyed The Conjuring, it's underlying messages, and the truly well done performances from that cast despite it being so large. A surprisingly solid horror film to truly bring some fresh perspective to the genre.