Intense Malevolence!

Rating: 8/10 (12 August 2013)

"The Conjuring" had its sneak preview in local theaters today, opening with a lot of hype. I am happy to report that all the hype about this film being one of the scariest horror films in recent years is totally true. And that assessment comes from a horror film fan like myself.
This movie was set in 1971, when the Perron family composed of Roger, Carolyn and their five daughters, moved into a rundown country house in an isolated area in Rhode Island. Almost immediately, strange events begin to happen to them. The ghostly manifestations started benignly, with creaky opening doors to unexplained bruising. As days passed, the attacks become increasingly violent and physical.
Carolyn desperately sought the help of noted supernatural investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. What they discover in the Perron home is a dark spirit more hateful than anything they have encountered before. They need to work against time before deadly events that had previously occurred in the house could happen again. In this extraordinary case, the Warrens needed to resort to the most extreme measures they know in order to save the tormented family
Unlike other film boasting about being based on a true story, this one actually convinces you that the horrific events shown in it happened in real life. A lot of this was due to the very authentic production design bringing us back to the early 1970s. The musical choices were atmospherically apt and creepy.
There was also the topnotch acting from the cast, which is unusual for a horror movie. The expertise and compassion of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who played the Warrens, felt very realistic. The chemistry between them is incredibly palpable. Ron Livingston, Lili Palmer and the five young actresses who play the Perron daughters all played well as the victimized family. I would not be surprised if Vera Farmiga and Lili Palmer pick up acting nominations for their performances.
Director James Wan throws every horror gimmick at us here but still makes everything felt remarkably fresh and original. There was some welcome humor to lighten some of the intense dread and tension that builds up within the film which will make you squirm in your seats. The deliberately slow pace felt interminably long in some eerie scenes which can definitely creep most people out. The editing of the film was very effective in this regard.
There were some questionable aspects though. The poster and even the pre-credits scene will make you expect something, but the rest of the movie was totally about something else. There was a subplot about Ed and Lorraine's daughter which was very well-executed with some of the film's scariest scenes, but this ultimately led nowhere, except maybe a possible sequel, which is something I would look forward to.