Instant classic

Rating: 10/10 (31 July 2013)

I love horror films and as someone who loves horror films I ask other fans is there ever a moment when you're watching something really scary and you go " This was a mistake, I hate this crap, I can't watch this, I have to leave." It's a very rare reaction especially in a cinematic sea or remakes, retreads and countless unnecessary sequels (not to say that some are great). The Conjuring the new film from James Wan made me have this reaction. Yes the film has all the tropes of a standard haunted house thriller but the film's smooth, ultra realistic execution is what sets it apart. The film tells the story of a family in the 70's who move into a new house and begin to experience strange occurrences. Those occurrences increase rather quickly and they list the help of the now famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren played perfectly by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farminga. What culminates is something truly unique and horrifying and hasn't been seen in the movies in a very long time if ever. Although it sounds fairly generic but this film is anything but. The proceedings are handled with a genre maestros finesse. Smoothly moving between each set piece to create a tapestry of terror. And to add to the films overall effect the proceedings are given an emotional girth so we care about the characters and the events going on. The film boasts solid performances all around especially from Vera Farminga, Patrick Wilson and Lili Taylor. The cinematographic is creative and top notch, the score haunting and effects nightmarish. But the star of the show here is James Wan he has effectively made a instantly classic horror film. It's finely tunes, feels very real and pacts an emotional wallop while scaring the crap out of you. Itis the scariest movie I've ever seen and one of the best not just of the year but ever. 5/5