Another unimaginative plot. That aside, the movie was very impressive. 7/10

Rating: 7/10 (27 August 2013)

As with most movies directed by the famous man behind Saw, James Wan, The Conjuring is pretty horrifying. The general mood and lighting of the movie is perfectly thrilling, and the secrecy of what is haunting the house is so brilliantly executed that you will be kept on the edge of your seat during the entire movie.
As for the story of the movie, it was unoriginal, and felt like you were watching the tenth remake of some paranormal activity spoof. Especially since it is less than three years ago Insidious was released, which was another movie with a VERY similar plot, also directed by James Wan. I get how this haunted house/family plot really contains room for a terrifying and thrilling story, but it is hard to understand why it has gotten so overused recently as the horror genre is known for being imaginative, unpredictable and innovative.
Generally this movie was really impressive. It kept a suspenseful and horrifying theme, and right from the beginning it felt as if the movie would consume you and drag you right into the middle of the action. The acting in this movie is nothing less than great, and the way the characters are portrayed is probably the best in any recent horror film. While you may once or twice think "Why would you go in there alone?" as in most scary movies, the characters are actually somewhat intelligent, non-skeptical and generally pretty likable.
Jump scares and heavy gore are not really used in this movie, and as the story progresses the suspense of fearing the unknown is more than enough to keep the viewer paralyzed as the events unfold. Keeping the audience this scared in a paranormal activity-like movie without the use of jump scares is quite a feat, unaccomplished in most recent horror movies.
Why should you watch this movie? If you are looking to pee your pants you are in the right place. The Conjuring is probably one of the scariest movies that has been released in the last five years. It is also one of the only recent horror movies that actually has likable characters, which is incredibly important if you want to feel as if you are inside of the film, taking part in the horrible events. However, if you have seen all the late supernatural haunted house films, and have gotten bored of the plot long ago, there are quite a few movies out there, which you should rather watch.
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