Affectively serviceable ghost story; the average film-goer will have their collective nerves shred.

Rating: 8/10 (27 July 2013)

THE CONJURING (2013) *** Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Tayor, Ron Livingston, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, Mackenzie Foy, Kyla Deaver, Shannon Kook, John Brotherton. Affectively serviceable ghost story based on true events with paranormal investigating married team The Warrens (Farmiga and Wilson with chemistry to spare) who are enlisted by The Perron Family for help in their current haunting of an evil presence plaguing their new dwelling. Director James Wan pulls out all the stops and incorporates every trick in the book (creaking doors, Don't-go-down-that-dark-cellar ethos) and rams it full throttle and oddly enough works like gangbusters pushing all the right buttons in an equally workmanlike script by Carey & Chad Hayes. While frankly someone like me who very rarely gets scared with horror films like this (and echoing every genre flick from THE CHANGELING to POLTERGEIST) the average film-goer will have their collective nerves shred.