Movie Review: The Conjuring (2013)
Written by Anthony Sargon
The modern horror movie generally consists of 3 things: buckets of blood, over the top violence, and nudity. While that's fine every once a while, it'd be nice to see something a little less stale. James Wan's "The Conjuring" is a refreshingly different horror film that doesn't necessarily reinvent the wheel, but manages to create serious tension and some genuine scares without resorting to blood and gore.
The movie centers around paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren's investigation of a haunted farmhouse in Rhode Island in 1971. The Perron family had been terrorized by demons since they moved into the house, and the ordeal ends up becoming the most terrifying case the Warrens have ever worked on.
Let me start by commending James Wan's directing, which has steadily matured over the years. 2004's "Saw" remains one of my favorite horror films (I hate all the sequels), and 2011's "Insidious" proved to be a pleasant surprise, and it's evident that Wan is using all that he's learned to craft a true sense of dread without relying on tired tricks. An exorcism scene in the film is made all the more terrifying by covering the possessed individual with a bed sheet, proving that things can be scarier when left to the imagination. The marketing push has also heavily publicized the "clap", and it's pretty effective when used.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play the Warrens, and they give the film's best performances, along with the 5 young actresses who portray the Perron daughters. Lili Taylor is solid as Carolyn Perron, but Ron Livingston doesn't leave much of an impression as the dad, Roger Perron. All in all though, people look genuinely scared when they need to, and that's all you can really ask for in a horror film.
The film is Rated R, but contains no nudity and barely any blood, which means it got the rating for being actually frightening. While I'm sure not everyone will walk away fully satisfied, you're bound to get chills on at least a few occasions.
Anthony's Verdict:
The summer movie season is usually pretty light on horror fare, which makes it all the more exciting that "The Conjuring" turned out as well as it did. It's fun, memorable, and will successfully freak you out.
Numerical Score: 8/10
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