Horror Review #10 - "The Conjuring" (2013)

Horror Review #10 - "The Conjuring" (2013)

The key ingredients for a horror movie to be good in my opinion are likable characters and legit scares. It doesn't have to be dirty or violent. As long as we have people to care about in a terrifying situation, I'm sold. The Conjuring does exactly that.

Set in the early 70's, we follow a family who has been terrorized by a demonic presence in their new house. They contact a couple of paranormal researchers, simply known as the Warrens, hoping to have them solve the problem.

Director James Wan (Saw, Insidious, and the upcoming Furious 7) has crafted an old fashioned movie that relies more on tension buildup and heavy atmosphere than cheap jump scares and gross out gore scenes. There is very little blood onscreen and yet, it was the scariest movie of 2013 for me.
The characters are super believable. We care about their well being and want them to be safe. Ed and Lorraine Warren might be my favorite dynamic duo in the horror genre. When they investigate possible paranormal cases, there's usually a logical explanation on those "weird noises" that's happening in the attic. One scene has Ed telling a young couple that the strange noises they're hearing is because of a pipe expanding. However, when they meet the Perron family and make the confirmation that there really IS a demonic presence lurking in the house, the Warrens do their homework and do their best to help them out.

There are also little snippets where we see their affection for each other. You can really tell that Ed and Lorraine love each other. They're portrayed beautifully by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. Without these two, The Conjuring would not be as perfect as it is. It's great chemistry I never expected to see in a horror movie.

As for the scares, they're all done with technical skill. None of it is lazy. There's a fantastic scene where one of the daughters thinks she sees somebody behind her bedroom door. We never see anything and yet, it had me covering my eyes a lot. Another scene has the camera following the mother around the house after she heard a noise downstairs. It's a long take that creates tension because we know something bad is nearby. The idea may be obvious but it's the execution that makes it work.

Filmed with flawless technical skill and supported by a talented cast, The Conjuring delivers legit scares and is one of the best modern horror movies in recent years. 5/5