A Well-Done Supernatural Thriller with Respect for the Genre

Rating: 7/10 (7 February 2014)

I don't know. Maybe I'm just jaded but I wasn't all that frightened by director James Wan's 2013 hit, THE CONJURING. I'm a tough person to engage with a horror film or supernatural thriller because it really needs some special to grab my attention. I was never bored while watching THE CONJURING, and I was even a little creeped out by the end of it all, but there's just nothing here to raise this movie above any other supernatural ghost tale. It never quite reaches the entertainment value of Wan's previous ghost story, INSIDIOUS. This movie has the added bonus of being based on supposed actual events, if that helps increase the spook factor for you at all. It's about Ed and Lorraine Warren (portrayed in the movie by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), a famous husband/wife team of demonologists who've claim to fame include such cases as the Amityville House. Seeing as how Amityville has been done to death, this movie focuses on another of their cases: the Perrons. The Perron family begins experiencing unusual phenomena after moving into a little farmhouse in Rhode Island in 1971. When it becomes apparent that whatever spirit or spirits haunting their home are aggressive, the Perrons seek out the aid of the Warrens. The Warrens soon discover that the Perrons' new home has a dark past that continues to torture the inhabitants of the home, and they must gather enough evidence for the Vatican to agree to an exorcism before the evil can claim new victims.
I suppose I respect THE CONJURING and enjoy it to the extent that I do because I understand what it's trying to be. James Wan isn't hoping to reinvent the wheel with this movie. Haunted house and possession movies are a dime a dozen anymore. Exorcism movies are the new "big thing" with a handful of them creeping into theaters each year, and most of them bombing. With THE CONJURING, Wan just wants to create the best film of this genre that he can, using all of the tools (and a lot of jump scares) that have been established for this genre. In that regard, the movie is a success. It's one of the better haunted house/possession films I've seen in the past few years. It was successful in at least creeping me out by the end of the film but I wasn't as blown away as I'd expected. The movie is sort of a victim of it's own hype machine. All of the advertisements and a lot of the reviews promised THE CONJURING to be one of the scariest movies in years and, well, no. It's got some nice bits, especially an introduction to the move focused on another of the Warrens' cases: Annabelle, the doll. For whatever reason, busted porcelain dolls are inherently skin-crawling and one that supposedly stalks its victims is a guaranteed spook factor. The final act of the film with the big exorcism isall right. Again, it's nothing I don't feel like I haven't seen before and it's hard to get excited for it.
The movie's biggest strength (aside from its director's obvious love/respect for the genre) is its cast. We've got Patrick Wilson as Ed Warren. Wilson is a man I'm surprised doesn't get more mainstream work. He's developed a nice history with James Wan, starring in both this and the INSIDIOUS films. Wilson's a great talent in the film and he's got strong chemistry with Vera Farmiga, who stars as his wife Lorraine Warren. Farmiga's another who brings a little class to the cast and these two starring together in the main roles brings the movie a little extra clout. Ron Livingston, one of Hollywood's best everymen, is Roger Perron, the head of the household who puts his family's life into the Warrens' hands even if he doesn't quite understand the situation they've found themselves embroiled in. The film also have the benefit of having child stars with decent talent. Child actors are an easy way to kill the fun but the girls who play the Perrons' children do a fantastic job. Everyone is bringing their A- game to the film and it never devolves into cheese. THE CONJURING works because everyone involved have a respect for the genre and unite in their aim to create a great modern ghost flick. And they do. Unless you're a naturally jumpy person, I wouldn't walk into THE CONJURING expecting the scare of your life but it is a well-done supernatural thriller with a handful of good, creepy moments.