Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine
Warren take on one of the most sensational cases of their careers after a cop
stumbles upon a dazed and bloodied young man walking down the road. Accused of murder,
the suspect claims demonic possession as his defense, forcing the
Director: Michael Chaves
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi
O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hilliard, John Noble
Release Date:
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Rated R for terror, violence and some
disturbing images.
Runtime: 1 h 52 min
Review:
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is an
effective if less impactful entry in the main series. Michael Chaves does his best James Wan
impression by delivering a film that has a 80s horror feel to it with an
opening sequence that pay homage to a horror stalwart. Unfortunately, it doesn’t maintain that level
of intensity throughout its runtime.
There are plenty of strong set ups and jump scares but the story doesn’t
ever really find its footing in a meaningful way. As such the story never produces that
sensation of dread or foreboding that top tier religious horror films elicit. It’s still incredibly watchable due to strong
work form Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
By this point in the series both actors inhabit the skin of their
characters with a palpable level of authenticity. Outside of the scares, this series has
primarily been about this couples marriage and love story. It’s the beating heart of the story and the
main reason these films work even in lesser entries like this. The biggest issue here is that a lot of the
story and tropes have all been done in better films. It doesn’t really break any new ground and
doesn’t explore a tantalizing story thread with John Noble’s character with it
choosing for a more straightforward approach.
This third entry in The Conjuring franchise works but most hardcore
horror fans will be left wanting for more.
C+
