There have been so many subpar horror movies in recent years. There have been a handful of passable to decent horror pictures yet nothing in recent memory that did anything to really strengthen the outlook for the genre. In other words the horror movie genre is desperate for some smart and original features. Then along comes “The Conjuring”, a movie that might not be the bold, groundbreaking film that the genre needs, but it’s certainly a good movie and a pleasant surprise.
“The Conjuring” is based on the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson), a husband and wife team of paranormal investigators, and their encounter with the Perron family. Set in 1971 (the year I was born), the movie has a very good sense of time and setting. The outfits, automobiles, and handful of songs are all spot on. Even the intricacies of the characters seem carefully written with the time period in mind. The main characters are the Warren’s. After a very unique and unsettling career, they now spend their time giving lectures on their experiences with demonology and paranormal activity.
We are also introduced to the Perron family. Tell me if you’ve heard this before. Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) and his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor) along with their five daughters move to rural Rhode Island after buying a two-story farmhouse. The family begins to experience strange, frightening, and unexplainable things. Wouldn’t you know it, the house turns out to have a troubling history which triggers the haunting of the Perron family. Carolyn catches the Warren’s after a lecture and convinces them to help find out what’s going on in their house.
The movie is really broken up into two halves. During the first half we spend a lot of time with the Perron family. The story is very deliberate in allowing us to get to know the family and in its revealing of the haunting. In several ways this works to the movie’s advantage but I have to admit I eventually was ready for it to move along. The second half follows the Warren’s work to help the Perron’s identify and deal with the terror. This is where the film really picked up and I quickly found myself thoroughly involved.
A lot of the film’s success can be credited to director James Wan. There is a level of tension and discomfort from the opening to the end credits and I say that positively. Clever techniques and strategies end up paying off. For example his use of scaling camera shots and creative angles work really well. And even though he uses standard stuff such as slamming doors, flickering lights, and creaky wooden floors, it’s pretty effective in its implementation. Sparse music, creepy makeup effects, and a reliability on psychological horror over gore are other sure positives.
And I have to give props to the two lead performances. The routinely underappreciated Patrick Wilson is excellent here. He falls right into the part and you never sense anything disingenuous about his performance. And I’ve said before that I am a huge fan of Vera Farmiga. This is a different role for her but once again she’s fantastic. Both Wilson and Farmiga are clearly 100% committed and it shows. There’s no winking at the camera or throwing away lines. Both are huge reasons the movie worked for me overall.
It’s hard to say that “The Conjuring” brings something new to the table. There are tastes of everything from “The Amityville Horror” to “Paranormal Activity”. Yet there’s something strikingly fresh about it even though it spends the entire time in familiar territory. “The Conjuring” has turned into a surprise hit this summer but I didn’t put much stock into that. As someone a little tired of the bland, run-of-the-mill “horror” we get today, I was a bit skeptical. But I love being surprised and this film did that for me. It has its flaws and it’s easy to pick it apart. But I had too much fun to waste my time doing that.
Keith & the Movies 
Such a terrifying flick! Glad someone else appreciates Patrick Wilson as much as I do, tragically underused. Farmiga was also really good, loved her in Source Code and The Departed. James Wan is the future of this genre. He knows and uses the nostalgia factor brilliantly and at times he can be inventive. Although this film was terrific, I feel we’ve still yet to witness Wan’s masterpiece. Great write up :).
Thanks. I appreciate it. I’ve been down on the modern horror genre but this movie gives me hope. And I’m with you, I think Wilson is fantastic here. And Farmiga is a great actress. She wonderful in Up in the Air and Higher Ground as well. Check them out if you haven’t seen them.
This is my opinion exactly. It breaks no new ground but it covers familiar territory very effectively. I was really pleased by it and have it in the top five or six of the year so far. Patrick Wilson was very good.
Wilson deserves more attention than he’s gotten in the past. Hopefully this will do it for him. This was just big surprise for me. I probably would’ve skipped it if not for the word-of-mouth and surprise success at the box office. Glad I did see it.
Really good review Keith! I too was very much surprised by this movie, since I’m also jaded by the horror genre. This one did it for me, though.
Exactly! You said it well. Thanks for reading.
Oh man, I really want to see this! Awesome review, now to get me on board, too!
It’s a treat. Wasn’t expecting much. Got a lot more!
I had a good time with this although I did think it was pretty by the book. Just about every horror cliche was in there but it handled them very well indeed and I thought Wilson and Varmiga really did a great job with their roles.
Wilson and Farmiga are the selling points. They are key. For me their committed performances are why make it such a winner.
I’m a huge horror buff and can’t believe I haven’t seen this yet. Sounds like a lot of fun.
Then you need to hustle my friend. I think this will please you!
Great review, Keith. I am a big fan of Vera, too, and was surprised she was cast for this as well. Can’t watch horror films anymore. They affect me to much. I literally jump like a cat at any sound and can’t be alone. So, will just have to trust your judgement. It’s usually right on! 🙂
Thanks Cindy! This one has its share of creepy, unsettling moments. I’m also pleased that they were able to do it with very little gore.
There’s at least one point by the end of the movie where I literally couldn’t handle all of the terror and tension going on throughout the house. it didn’t last long, but it was there for a solid 5 minutes and it remained very memorable for me, as you can evidently see. Good review Keith.
Thanks man. They definitely hit the mark for what they were shooting for. And in this modern age of horror that was a welcome surprise.
I agree. This film def has some of the elements of previous horror films but it def is fresh too. It scared me and kept me entertained. I wanted to see it again…but didn’t…at the same time. Nice review, Keith.
Thanks my friend. It was a treat for me. I love the horror genre but it is struggling in my eyes. I understand that it is hard to find something that hasn’t been done before. Horror has been around for a long time. That’s why I really appreciated how this one took familiar stuff and made it feel fresh and engaging. Just a lot of fun for me.
You enjoyed this one a lot more than I did. We should have our review up by tomorrow. It was like eating leftovers for me. It was ok but you know the original meals were much better.
That’s fair. As I mentioned it’s certainly nothing new. Then again it’s hard to come up with something in the horror genre that hasn’t been done before. It’s been around for such a long time in big-budget movies and smaller B movies. But for me this was fresh despite its familiarity. That was a big plus.
Great review. This is one the best horror movie in years.
I’m with you. It was a surprise treat.
Ok, between you and Mr. Hobin… I’ll be seeing this at the weekend. Solid review, as always Keith!
Thanks my friend. Definitely give this one a shot!
Awesome that you liked it! i think good horror movie is a game change for horror, considering how awful the films were in the genre lately 🙂
You’re so right! The genre has just been awful. The films have gone from terrible to very mediocre. I think that’s a big reason I enjoyed this so much.
Really enjoyed this one too, Keith. Thought James Wan did a brilliant job of building tension and atmosphere and having a collection of characters who you care about. Most of the time when I watch horror/scary films, I just want them to kill the people off because I couldn’t give two craps about them!
That’s a great point that I failed to mention. These are characters that we do actually care about. That’s a huge plus especially compared to the other junk that gets churned out.
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