Solid, but signals a well-worn genre

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 2013)

James Wan, the creator of 'Saw' and 'Insidious'- and the significantly less successful 'Dead Silence'- brings us 'The Conjuring'. Seeing as these types of horror films have become more prolific it was only a matter of time before they began losing freshness; that is solely what damages 'The Conjuring' for me, regrettably.
There are numerous aspects of this film that have been done many times before in other movies, such as 'Sinister', 'Paranormal Activity' 1-4 and Wan's own 'Insidious'. With that being said, they are accomplished remarkably and effectively well here. The problem lies with how there is only so much you can do with one sub-genre, and 'The Conjuring' marks the first time I have noticed these elements beginning to stale no matter how well executed.
Was I scared? Absolutely! In that way the movie succeeds 100%, especially in the second half. Never is it unintentionally funny, and the cast is as excellent as their performances- Vera Farmiga particularly. Although also somewhat familiar, the story behind the 'haunting' is pretty well done considering it can be a snagging point in these types of horror films.
'The Conjuring' signifies the need for a change in this horror sub-genre, and despite being executed brilliantly and having a perfect cast, too many aspects are overly familiar and worn- out- still, I won't be getting much sleep tonight.