In the style of a classic exorcism horror film, The Conjuring tells the story of a typical American family who seeks help from a demonologist and his clairvoyant wife after realizing their new house is ridden with demons. Heard it before? It’s because the film follows the formula of an exorcism movie.
You’ve got the dark, ominous house with the brooding trees and bad wallpaper. Then you’ve got the happy family who unknowingly moves into an extremely demon-plagued house. Then you’ve got the expert in demons (played by Patrick Wilson) and some kind of spiritual guidance or clairvoyant (played by Vera Farmiga). Mix that all together and you’ve entered into The Exorcism Land. But don’t forget the wall-climbing demon with a murderous agenda!
The Conjuring, set in 1971, gives ton of nods to classic horror films, especially with the plot progression. The pace of the movie takes a slow ride, giving the viewers time to experience all the paranormal things happening like doors banging, pictures falling from walls, legs being pulled. Typical paranormal shenanigans. The films tends to rely too much on these moments and drags out the suspense in a not-so-suspenseful way. There’s too much time between scares. They’re here and there, ranging from gasping-and-jumping moments to utterly laughable scenes.
The truly terrifying moments don’t come from the climax of the film, the inevitable exorcism, but rather from the revealing of the demons and their rapid movements. One minute they are behind a character, and in a heart-stopping second, they are right in front of the character. Just a big face with bleeding eyes wide on the screen. It’s enough to make your spill your popcorn.
Fright factor aside, the acting in the movie was weak, considering the large cast. The children outshone the parents (played by Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston), but the only notable performance was from Vera Farmiga, who played Lorraine Warren, the clairvoyant. She gave great somber face with a touch of understanding and sheer terror in some scenes. I was expecting more from Patrick Wilson, but his line delivery was bland and lacked conviction. The lesser actors seemed as if they were previously cast in Lifetime movies with little to no acting experience. I’m looking at you, John Brotheron (who played Officer Brad).
If you’re feeling nostalgic and just dying to see another exorcism movie with a few terrifying moments, The Conjuring delivers. It’s entertaining to piece together the demon’s backstory to find out why it’s so scorned. And to watch a good ole exorcism, ear-splitting screams and all. Did I mention that this all based on a true story? I’ll leave you with that and a trailer for the film below.