The Conjuring (2013)

I'll start this by saying that I'm an atheist, I don't believe in paranormal activities and therefore I don't like to waste my time with paranormal horror movies. But there's someone in the blogosphere *cough*Margaret*cough* who keeps praising James Wan so I decided to watch one of his most loved films, The Conjuring. 

As you probably know the film is based on true events and tells the story of the Perron family who shortly after moving into their "new" dilapidated farmhouse in Rhode Island begins to experience paranormal events. Fearful, they ask for the help of Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), two paranormal investigators that soon discover there's a witch haunting the house and the area surrounding it.

The plot certainly isn't the film's greatest strength as it lacks originality and it's a little all over the place. The main storyline, the one you just read, is pretty much your typical haunted house story and as such, it's clichéd and predictable. Everything else is quite a mess as there's too much going on --the Annabelle doll, the melodrama between and Ed and Lorraine as they want to stop doing their job but they also want to continue because helping other is their mission from God-- and nothing really gets the conclusion it deserves. And yet there's something about it that was so compelling it kept me interested and invested in The Conjuring for the whole time.

The characters are definitely one of those compelling aspects. Unlike most horrors nowadays, this film takes its time to get the audience know its characters, both the Warrens and the Perrons, which makes them more interesting and relatable than your average horror characters. We get invested in them, we care about them, and we root for them.

It wouldn't be fair to praise only the writers for this as the reason they are so effective is the cast. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are both excellent as the husband and wife --they do a great job at exploring their characters and their chemistry is pretty good. The rest of the cast does a good job too, the stand out being Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron whose transition from innocent and loving mother to terrifying monster.

Warner Bros. Pictures

At last but not least director James Wan, the man without whom The Conjuring wouldn't be the same --I'm not sure it would even work without him. Wan was able to give the film a 70s look which makes it feel very authentic and real. His stylish camera work which includes tracking shots and very creative angles --I loved when he turned the camera upside down-- gives the film such a creepy, haunting and frightening atmosphere. He builds tension and delivers terror beautifully and, while there still are jump scares, they are effective because they have a reason to be there. Also, there's no sex, no gore and no cursing, isn't that refreshing for a horror?

Ultimately, The Conjuring isn't perfect but it's pretty terrifying. As I said above, I don't believe in these things but I was genuinely scared while watching the film. It sent chills down my spine several times, I'm not kidding.