The Conjuring - 9/10

Directed by James Wan - Written by: Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes

The film starts with an interview that Ed and Lorraine Warren had with two concerned women who were in possession of the Annabelle doll. This interview gives us some insight as to where the doll ended up after the previous film in the series and also provides us with a background on Ed and Lorraine's profession and knowledge. They safely removed the evil presence from the apartment and use the video of the interview in their lectures to show people what their work entails. In this interview we also learn that the doll is not possessed itself, but works as a conduit for an evil spirit. In the pervious Annabelle films, the spirit can be seen behind the doll in a few scenes.

The story follows a family of 7: A husband and wife with their 5 daughters, who move into an old secluded farmhouse. Soon after the family moves into the house, strange and inexplicable things start happening. The girls start seeing and hearing things in the house that terrify them. The terror is so well executed in these scenes that you can get goosebumps even after watching the film a few times. As these occurrences become more malicious toward the family, the concerned mother (Carolyn Perron) is prompted to find the Warrens to get help.

She attended one of the Warren's lectures in order to get in contact with them. This particular lecture is interesting for people who have watched the previous films as they discuss the case of Maurice (Frenchie). Its disappointing that Frenchie is played by a different actor in the scene for those who value consistency. We learn that the case was solved by the Warrens but Frenchie died in the process. After the lecture, Carolyn approaches the Warrens and asks for their help and manage to convince them to visit the house. Once the Warrens confirm the presence of an evil entity, their team stay at the house with the family in order to get conclusive proof to permit an exorcism.

This provides an interesting aspect to the film as, in general, people tend to think that they are safer with many people around. The film challenges this because the supernatural events continue to occur even with the house full of people - at the same time, this shows how powerful the spirit in the film is which also contributes to the fear that the viewer experiences. Each of the conjuring films up to this point tend to challenge these instinctual aspect of safety. This assists in the terror as it makes the viewer believe that there is little they would be able to do if they were in the same situation; I think this is a huge contributor to what makes the Conjuring series so frightening.

This film is somewhat famous for the introduction of the "Hide-and-clap" game where the person who is 'it' is blindfolded and has to find the others by making them clap. It is one of the coolest additions to it in my opinion. It is just such an effective instrument in building suspense by leading characters to make bad decisions when blindfolded, or even while hiding. It also makes the viewer fear something as innocent as clapping.

Sound and lighting play a huge role in these scenes that are perfectly spaced out through the film and are executed masterfully. I can always appreciate a horror film that does not rely solely on jump scares but still values effective buildup and the influence of an eerie atmosphere. One of my favorite jump scares ever is present in this film, as it challenges cliché jump scare scenes that can be seen in other supernatural horror films. Some great camera angles that occasionally alternate to free hand POV shots assist with the immersion and exposure to the environment. For the viewers that are interested in retrieving all possible information the film has to offer; there are smaller background details in the film which these camera angles help to display. The events are so creepy and terrifying that, even if the true events are only loosely depicted, it makes me believe that this is one of the best ghost stories in history.

The ending is much more satisfying than the other conjuring films and the real images of the Warrens and the family from the story add another eerie aspect to the film.