MOVIE REVIEW: The Conjuring

When The Conjuring came out in 2013, it was best known for being rated R just for being so scary. The MPAA told the filmmakers that there was nothing that could be cut to make it PG-13. Now that we know the film is confirmed to be scary, does the film succeed in other aspects, such as story and character?

Rated R for sequences of disturbing violence and terror

The Conjuring stars Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) and Patrick Wilson (Insidious, Watchmen) as famous (or infamous) paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Over the course of the film, they become involved in the haunting of the Perron family at their new farm and try to help the family battle the demonic forces at work.

The Conjuring is a great film, no question about it. The scares are extremely effective and steadily built upon to make reveals even more terrifying. Each scare sequence peels back layers that make the next build-up tenser as it leads to a scare that peels back more layers, culminating in a terrifying and exciting finale. Much like Jaws, the suspense and terror comes from knowing what is the force at work without actually seeing it, and it is that idea of suggestibility that makes the film scarier than your average horror or Jason slasher.

James Wan (Saw, Insidious) uses lighting and colors to clue the audience in to what is good and bad, what is innocent and what is insidious. Towards the beginning of the film, Ed gives a tour of his museum of hellish artifacts, where he makes it very clear that what is in there is dangerous and the only reason they keep all of them at home with them is so they don't wreak havoc on anybody else. When he leaves the museum, his black shirt becomes apparent and starkly contrasts with his wife's white outfit; she stayed out of the museum and resembles the purity in contrast to the spiritual muck Ed was walking around. Other than the museum area, the Warrens' house is bright and inviting. Contrast this with the Perron's farm, which has a very dark aesthetic. Of course, that's where everything hits the fan. Whenever we were at the Warrens or a university they visit, I was relaxed. Whenever we were at the Perron's, I tensed up like a deer on the highway. The metaphorical fresh air made the terrifying sequences stand out as even more terrifying, much like we were only nervous about a shark during Jaws when there was a beach scene...or Brody was stuck in the middle of the ocean with a killer shark. It's a master craft.

Now back to the idea of suggestibility. There are certainly times when you see the demons and ghosts in The Conjuring (that is, if you're not covering your eyes), but one sequence that I can never forget is towards the climax when the demons strike back against the Warren family on a personal level: terrorizing their daughter. In this scene, tension is built by what is unseen. We hear banging, we hear silence, we see light. Then the light disappears and the darkness submerges the once-haven that is the Warrens' home; the creepy Annabelle doll is gone. The daughter tries to escape it by hiding in another room, but the darkness submerges that room and the banging returns, too. Then silence: all but a creaking. She turns around and there's a rocking chair with an old hag combing Annabelle. It is terrifying; for me, mostly because we never see the hag's face. In this scene and other scenes like it, such as the iconic clapping scene, our imagination, with the atmosphere and build-up, conjures up something so terrifying it must be inhuman.

The technical parts of the film are also strong. The makeup for the Bathsheba demon (Joseph Bishara, the film's composer) is terrifyingly disgusting and hellish, and when she possesses a character the merger is creepy. Overall, the makeup helps the dead (or supernatural) look otherwordly. Furthermore, the makeup department clues us in on the physical impact of the hauntings on this family, with the mother Carolyn (Lili Taylor, I Shot Andy Warhol, The Haunting) look worse and worse with each scene. The special effects are subtle and make the terror seem real and palpable. A lot of them are very low-key, so it stays intimately horrific instead of a SFX guy showing off what he can do on a computer; we've come a long way since the first Poltergeist. I have no idea how James Wan accomplished some of these shots--what is real and what is not--so major props there. The costuming helps put us in the 1970s period the film takes place in. Although sometimes, the dialogue's attempts to put us in the era aren't so "groovy," but the scene in question is light-hearted.

But where the dialogue isn't always so radical, the script makes up for it in characterization. The Warrens' relationship is so well-realized you can't help but get behind them. Furthermore, I found it especially interesting how they were characterized as devout Christians who believe they "were brought together for a reason." Lorraine's belief that the Perron case is the reason God put them together, as well as a dramatic flashback that explains why Ed is so concerned for Lorraine, really raises the emotional stakes for the final exorcism scene. Because of this, the finale isn't a conventional "gotta get the demon out" spectacle, but a emotional culmination of character arcs.

The Warrens are great characters, mostly due to how the film makes us care for them.

Whereas the stereotype for horror films is that they only try to make a bloody spectacle with a gruesome beast with no regard for the human characters, The Conjuring is nothing like that. The film is not gory, nor is there strong language. I see the film rather as a drama with scary scenes. Yes, the film is frightening and I still look over my shoulder and get spooked in the dead of night because of it, but the film also is full of hope. The idea the film conveys of the power of God and of love being greater than the dark and oppressive evil is especially powerful.  While it doesn't market itself as a Christian movie, the Christian vibe is very much there, opening with a Bible verse and ending with a quote by Ed Warren, warning us of the reality of the supernatural, of Hell, and of God, and the decision that makes an eternal impact. The Hayes Brothers, who wrote the film, do a fantastic job of conveying a powerful Christian message without beating it over our heads nor slandering other people like God's Not Dead or other PureFlix "inspirational dramas" do. To me, this makes it not only a great and deep film, but required viewing for Christians who wish to use media to connect to our culture. It's not a film about the terror of demons; it's a film about the power of faith in Christ despite the very real terror of the demonic. This is a very well-acted, well-written, powerful, scary drama masterfully crafted by James Wan and the Hayes Brothers. Because the only qualm I had with it were two lines, I have to give it 5 out of 5 stars. If I ever see the Blu-Ray, I will buy it in a heartbeat. I also encourage you to read and listen to interviews with the Hayes Brothers if you get the chance.

Have you seen The Conjuring? What did you think about it? Are you anticipating The Conjuring 2? Whatever you have to say about me or the movies, comment below!