Every great horror cliché - but in a good way...

Rating: Null/10 (2 August 2013)

I have just watched "The Conjuring" in a fairly deserted screening, with popcorn in toe I was ready for a good ride and this film did not disappoint. From the chilling first scene and opening credits to the final gut wrenching hurrah "The Conjuring" is a thoroughly entertaining trip down well tread horror moments. Although the picture is packed to the brim with clichés and takes a lot of great hints from other classical of the genre, despite this, each cliché is executed well and occasional gets a good scare.
Apparently based on a true story "The Conjuring" follows the Warrens; Ed and Lorraine, as they embark on the most disturbing case of their ghost hunting carriers. This case was apparently so scary that it is only coming to light now. Ed and Lorraine specialise in driving the daemons that possess your house away. However, a previous case had lead Ed to believe that his wife may not be up to it. The clairvoyant Lorraine see things that others can't be it a nice day at the beach or a horrific hanging. Meanwhile, the Perrons are moving into their new home, quickly however, things start to take a darker turn. The family begin to hear bumps in the night and discordant chimes from the basement. Their only option is to find the Warrens and convince them to rid the house of evil; but can the Warrens rid the house of dread and save the family from their demise?
"The Conjuring" is very enjoyable. Although it may be sporadically scary rather than constantly on the edge of your seat it is still a lot of fun. Also, for me it was refreshing to be scared without any of the modern tropes that seem to follow modern horror around; found footage, gore and stupid teens. This new movie takes its marks from classics. The title card is basically from "The Exorcist" however, the blood red is replaced with a sickly yellow. The central characters and narrative centre around children and their connection with the afterlife, although this is not obvious in "The Shining" it still plays a large role and "The Conjuring" seems to play off this fear of children well. That is not to say that this film is just a rip off, no, there are some genuinely frightening scares and some original moments. There just seemed to be something about the setting and characters that reminded me of a lot of other films; "The Conjuring" is set in the mists of the seventies and it shows perfectly in the costumes and sets. A lot of people have already hailed this movie as a future great and although it is great I can't see people watching this in fifty years........
For the rest of the review visit kierankingfilm.blogspot.co.uk