The Wan and only, the Maestro of Horror, has done it yet again!

Rating: 9/10 (15 March 2014)

As a devout Horror fan, I've seen pretty much every sub-genre there is, from Torture Porn to Comedy Horror. I must say that usually when asked, I say that Ghost Story is my favorite of the sub-genres, especially the Asian ones were the ghosts connect with my inner child and scare the living daylight out of the poor thing. However, films dealing with exorcisms and haunting / possession come as a very close second, especially when it's a good one like The Exorcism of Emily Rose or The Unborn. As of late, a new sub-genre has joined the list as no. 1 and as the best Horror international cinema has to offer: James Wan films. It has taken me a while to figure out that the best Horror I've seen in the passed 10 years has all been made thanks to that amazingly talented Writer-Director: The Saw Series, Insidious and Dead Silence are masterpieces in my book. Now, The Conjuring happily and rightfully joins the list.
The acting by Patrick Wilson is excellent. While his character is usually a little timid and not all that impressive, Wilson has truly proved profound acting skills playing the charismatic Ed Warren. Yet the really pleasant surprise is by far Lili Taylor as the mother of the family whose house is haunted. I haven't seen Taylor since Mel Gibson's Ransom, and had to look her up in order to even realize that, but if she never acts again this part shall be remembered as her moment of pure glory. I have seen many actors playing the part, and she still managed to amaze me. I believe "Bravo!!!" sums it up.
The story is great, and with all due respect to "based on real events" - I credit that to Wan. A perfect combination of Ghost Story and Haunting / Exorcism, interesting and compelling with great suspense. The script is even better, and I've been really impressed with how many classic jump-scare moments simply didn't happen! No cheap tricks, no cheats, nothing! At first the ghosts manage to frighten the audience without even appearing in the shot. We do see them eventually, but in two (maybe three) scenes only. The only criticism I have - without giving away any spoilers, there are two scenes I've noticed where the characters suffer a pretty serious fall, then get up with not so much as a sprained ankle. Suspense of disbelief is critical in such "supernatural" Horror films, and making the characters miraculously immune to falls slightly damaged it for me. Along with that, I was going to say the ending was slightly anti-climactic, and that I personally felt that the plot set us up for an ending that had never arrived. Then I saw that there is (or about to be) a sequel, which I'm anticipating greatly!
As for soundtrack and cinematography, I didn't notice anything too impressive or even worth mentioning (which takes absolutely nothing away from this excellent film).
All in all - the slight almost non-existent criticism I've mentioned is the only reason I'm not rating this 10. I've seen a review claiming The Conjuring is better than Insidious, and while I find it difficult to agree - it is an excellent film, a fine piece of Horror, and another great achievement by the Wan and only. I recommend this film to any Horror fan out there. Re-reading all I've just written for editing reasons, I realize that my words don't commune clearly enough how much I've enjoyed watching this film. Take my word for it - this is one of the best Horror films you'll ever see.