A Thrill Ride for Haunting Lovers

Rating: 9/10 (16 August 2013)

Being a fervent fan of the haunting genre of horror, The Conjuring was catapulted to my watchlist after I watched its trailer and saw that the directing was by James Wan - THE master behind one of my favourite horror films, Insidious (2011).
As per expectation, The Conjuring was nothing short of fun and thrill even for the seasoned horror fan like myself. Although the plot and scares were fairly predictable in my opinion, the team was able to aptly create that nervous tension as the audience braces itself for the scares. This, is a skill that distinguishes the good haunting film from the bad - whether the audience actually bursts a blood vessel waiting in fear for the terror which they know is lurking just around the corner. Definitely a thrill ride!
Some comfort for the weak-hearted though, is that there are many other good aspects of the film apart from the typical scares you find in the haunting genre - great acting from the (good-looking) cast, awesome picture and film set. Oh. I should warn you guys that the visual at some parts can be terrifying. Well...kudos to the makeup team! Was pretty impressed since I haven't really seen such demonic expressions since The Exorcist (1973) or the recent remake of the Evil Dead (2013). As a Christian, such diabolical portrayals give me the most goosebumps compared to sci-fi monsters or psychotic serial killers.
The reason why I rated The Conjuring slightly less than perfect is pretty much the predictability of the entire story line, and how many parts drew similarity to preceding films of this genre. So, it was really nothing new at all - satanic witches, haunted closet + cellar + music box, anti-Christ demons, gifted paranormal investigators, exorcism, and the usual stuff you get from the typical haunting film. At the end of all that fun, I'm not certain if I can pick out anything that's really unique to The Conjuring.
NONETHELESS, a 9/10 rating from me still indicates a worthy watch for all thrill-seekers and horror fanatics. I'm in for more fun if a sequel is ever confirmed!
P.S. Freakin' hell, Annabelle the doll is real! That doll's a b*tch.