The Conjuring (2013) User Reviews

A modern classic.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 7 January 2021]

It's several years since this film was released, and I have to say that none of the shine has come off it, the quality is still very much there, the film is a classic. As a horror it packs in some real scares, but there is so much more to it, it has tension, a story, and some real intrigue, possibly because of the fact that it was inspired by real life events.

Several films have followed, sequels and spin offs, but none of them come close to this, the only Horror film for many years to actually give me a few scares.

Many of the scares are so memorable, because they are so well executed, they got the balance just right.

Incredibly well acted, the performances are one of the film's best assets, but there are many besides.

I'd have moved! It's a classic, 9/10.

New life breathed into a classic sub-genre

[mungflesh · 9/10 · 30 June 2013]

"Don't summon the devil, don't call the priest ..."

I was one of a lucky few to have seen The Conjuring at a preview screening for FrightFest 2013.

I went in totally cold, not having seen a trailer, nor knowing anything about the story or plot and it turned out to be one of the best scary horror movies I have ever seen.

The Conjuring is a nail-biting, hiding-behind-hands movie. If you've been disappointed with the likes of Paranormal Acivity and Insidious, this one is likely to deliver in areas where they failed.

It tells the supposedly true story of two paranormal investigators, who aim to rid families and properties of their suspected supernatural visitations, either by disproving them (if they turn out to be just creaky floorboards or slamming doors) or tackling them head-on if not. A leap of faith is required to buy into this theme but if you're okay with it, then the movies plays out pretty well within its genre confines.

The particular incident they are brought in to deal with is described as surrounding a spirit 'so malevolent' it was hidden from the public until only now. In fairly Amityville-like circumstances, a family move into a new house and discover the basement is sealed; boarded-up behind a doorway.

It's not at all surprising what follows, once they decide to take a look in the basement but it is surprising how James Wan has managed to take such a tired theme of haunting and possession and revive it so convincingly.

I am no stranger to these kind of movies but this one truly tops them all for tension and terror. I really enjoyed Sinister recently, which I found to be equally as scary but it lost its way a bit towards the end, whereas The Conjuring keeps tempo and has a fairly satisfying conclusion.

I particularly liked the way the film took a turn for the comical somewhere in the middle, only for perhaps five minutes, then came back firing on all cylinders as it headed to the finale. If this was intentional, to lure us into a false sense of security, it worked beautifully.

If you're the type to poo-poo this genre in general, I can't see you suddenly being converted to a believer but, if you enjoy classic horror like The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror and Poltergeist, I can almost guarantee The Conjuring won't disappoint.

It's November 1st, 1971, I'm sitting here with Carolyn Perron, who with her family, has been experiencing supernatural occurrences.

[hitchcockthelegend · 9/10 · 16 June 2014]

The key with The Conjuring is not that it has freshness on its side, as evidenced by the ream of horror fans arguing on internet sites about "nothing new on the table" , but while those fans will be going hungry for a very, very long time, The Conjuring does everything right for the splinter of horror it deals with.

There's a lot to admire about a horror film that in this day and age stands tall and proud against the ream of remakes, sequels and teen friendly slashers that "haunt" the multiplexes with all too much frequency these days. Free of gore and sex, this was automatically going to alienate a good portion of the lustful members of the horror fan base, but for those who like their horror served with appetising scares and a cauldron of suspense, then this delivers plenty to your particular table.

Forget the "based on a true story" tag, since it's kind of irrelevant in this new technological age, it's a selling gimmick that actually means "this story might be true and we might have played with it a bit". Regardless of hoax charges and embellishments, just buy into the premise, commit to it as a scary story in the same way as director James Wan has, for then the rewards are there for the compliant.

Story essentially is based around an investigation in the early seventies by paranormal specialists Ed and Lorraine Warren, who aided the Perron family as they were victims of dreadful supernatural events at their Rhode Island home. Wan builds it deftly, letting us into the Perron families lives as they move into what they believe to be a dream home. Then things start to happen, but again Wan builds it in slow instances, creating a palpable sense of dread, his camera work intelligent. So when the big moments come they have maximum impact and have us also yearning for the Warren's to get involved.

There is no over killing of the boo-jump scares, they are placed with care and marry up superbly with the mounting tension. Naturally all the cliché conventions of the haunted house movie are here, strange smells, creaky doors, ominous cellar and etc, yet these are supplemented with Wan's talented knack for a good scare and a very effective production design. From mysterious bruises and literal leg pulls – breath holding games of hide and seek – to bona fide pant soiling moments, The Conjuring is a lesson in sustained unease until the big finale is unleashed.

The script is devoid of cheese and pointless filler, itself refreshing in a horror sub-genre that suffers often with these problems. Joseph Bishara's musical score is an absolute nerve shredder, and again it's a refreshing accompaniment because it doesn't resort to telegraphed shrieks to tell us to be afraid, it never overwhelms a scene. John Leonetti's cinematography has Gothic textures, both in the house and outside of the lakeside farmhouse, while the strong lead cast of Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston come up trumps for sure.

Met with critical and box office success, The Conjuring justifies its reputation as a superb haunted house movie. 9/10

By far one of the best horror movies I've seen in a while.

[skeletonman13 · 10/10 · 19 July 2013]

I'm an avid horror fan. Lately I've been thinking there isn't much that can scare me (though Sinister got under my skin). I appreciate James Wan's films, I love the first Saw, Insidious was a damn good modern ghost story, but like all reviews have stated for it, the movie kinda loses it's momentum in the final act.

The Conjuring is better, scarier, and more tense than Insidious. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's one of the best horror movies of the last 5 or 10 years. It goes back to the classic rule of horror film making, never show the bad guy fully to your audience. Plus this movie knows suspense, I tell you, I almost threw a water bottle at the screen from sheer terror once the scare finally happened. There are no fake jump scares, the movie earned an R rating without any blood, sex, or profanity, it's all from the terror that this movie builds upon.

Not only is the movie scary, but as a film itself, it's almost a masterpiece. The script, acting, direction, style, tone, etc were all simply top notch. Wan's camera-work here is by far his best out of any of his movies. The choice to set the movie in the 70s was a stroke of genius as it feels so authentic and all the more real. If this story were set in the present, it simply wouldn't be as a effective or scary. The 70s style film making, costuming, and hair styling are a great throwback to likes of The Exorcist & The Amityville Horror.

Though there are a few (extremely minor) flaws, such are length, repetitiveness, and a resolution that happens way too fast. I don't care, every horror movie (or movie in general) has it's flaws. There will never be a perfect horror movie, if there is one, I haven't seen it yet. But all I know is James Wan's The Conjuring is one of the best horror movies I've seen in a long time, and it's been a really long time that a movie has scared me this badly.

10/10 Don't miss this one, it's an amazing theater viewing experience.

The Conjuring

[0U · 13 February 2020]

"The Conjuring" is one of the most thrilling horror film to have come out in recent times. It is up there with "Sinister" as one of the scariest films I have watched. Since it's based off of "true events", it makes it even more interesting. I can't quite give it a full 10 star rating because it does have quite a few jump scares, but at least a good portion of those jump scares add to the atmosphere of this movie. If you are a first time watcher of this movie, it will certainly disturb you for a while. It doesn't stick with me like "Sinister" does long after, but The Conjuring is a fun watch and I always love coming back for a rewatch every now and then.

James Wan at his best

[R-P-McMurphy · 9/10 · 6 July 2013]

"The Conjuring" is a high class horror film, its hard not to be scared by it, we care for the characters and the story is compelling enough to make you feel interested the whole time.

Based on true life events, Ed and Lorraine Warren are paranormal investigators set to help a family terrorized by a demon, said to be one of the most terrifying cases of their lives which they hadn't shared with anyone...until now.

First of all, I loved that it takes place in the 70's, I agree completely with director James Wan's point of view that it is almost impossible to make a horror film set in the present. For example, the teenage daughters of the haunted family would be taking pictures of the demons with their iphones and would be posting them on posting them on instagram, basically the demons would turn into the victims and the humans would be the bad guys.

The movie isn't perfect though, there are a few plot holes in it, but still it does have some great scares in it that had me jumping out my seat and I liked the way it builds up tension and lets us know the characters before it starts with all the craziness. Not only is the movie set in the 70's, but it also has the feel of a 70's horror film, with slow zooms and filming styles you wouldn't expect from a modern movie. I really believe James Wan has outdone himself with this movie, I'll even go so far to calling it the scariest movie I've seen in my life. Thank you James Wan for this great movie and good luck with Fast & Furious 7.

I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a great horror film, I guess it gives the feeling audiences must have felt when watching "The Exorcist", "Don't Look Now", or Poltergeist" for the first time.

An instant gem among the classic horror titles.

[chapy004 · 10/10 · 25 June 2013]

I got a chance to see this movie at the film festival, and boy was I TERRifically surprised! James Wan's 'The Conjuring' is one of those rare gems in the horror industry that finds a spot beside the classic titles of horror, 'The Shining', 'Poltergeist', and 'The Exorcist' due to James Wan's ability to balance an atmospheric dreadful tale involving wonderfully crafted characters with a haunted house that had my palms sweating and my heart pounding during some of the most horrifying moments (There are a few of those; make sure you empty your bladder BEFORE entering the theater).

The things that make 'The Shining', 'Poltergeist', and 'The Exorcist' good is that if the editor were to chop out all the jump-scares and those sequences that fry an image into your brain, you would still have a moody, edgy story that makes you sympathies for the characters and their struggle. This is what Wan does right in this film, and it's then that you realize horror is more than what pops out at you, or what makes you scream. Rather, it's that feeling of dread you get that escalates into sheer terror and suspense, aided by shocking scares.

BUT WAIT! All this not to say 'The Conjuring' doesn't have its share of frightening visuals and pee-your-pants moments; believe me when I say I also rank this as one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. Yet, Wan realizes here that jump scares aren't what moves a story along, but what defines that classic image everyone gets in their head when someone talks about a certain horror movie that frightened them the most, kind of like a celebrity's autograph in the corner of a huge poster of their face.

All of this hence to say, "The Conjuring" is an exceptional piece of film that pulls all the right stops to frighten the audience, leaving a lasting impression on your mind as well the recently tired genre of horror.

Movie Score: 10/10!

Fairly good classical exorcism type horror movie

[p-jonsson · 7/10 · 16 June 2014]

The Conjuring is a fairly classical horror/haunted house/exorcism movie. That was pretty much what I was hoping for. Slow and creepy build up to a final outburst and confrontation with an evil entity. This is a good movie although it is not really something new in terms of story. It is fairly impossible not to think about, and make comparisons with, The Amityville Horror when seeing this movie. I do not think it really deserves the glowing 9 or 10 star ratings that I have seen but it certainly do not merit those 1 or 2 star ones either. What were these people expecting? This is a solid effort of making a movie along the classical lines of supernatural possession. As I wrote, it is not really something new, but it is nice to see a new movie using this kind of story without just turning it into a CGI gore-feast. Sure, the movie also includes the traditional pitfalls that most horror movies apparently must have like people thinking it is a good idea to walk down into the dark and scary basement all alone in the middle of the night.

One thing that irked me with the movie though was the idea of phantoms and performing exorcism being presented as kind of normal and accepted things. Of the movie would have played itself out 70 or so years earlier maybe but in the 1970′s? It just felt somewhat surreal to see this "ghosthunter" make presentations and talk to people like supernatural entities and the practice of exorcism was just things that happened.

The we have the ending of course. Not that it was overly bad but Christ, if you are going to do an exorcism then do it damn it. Do not stop the procedure and look lost every time something goes bump.

Anyway, I was not sure whether I was going to be disappointed or pleased when sitting down to watch this movie. On the whole I was pleased. It was a nice to watch a movie that was going back to the traditional values in horror movie making and it was as well implemented as one could expect.

Holy F*** is all people with me said while watching it throughout.

[a-andrew900 · 10/10 · 15 July 2013]

This film was easily one of the scariest films of the decade, complete with a horror package that will make even those new to horror love it, if they are a fan of fear that is. This movie had every guy in the group at the edge of their seats with their girlfriends....it was an intense experience that cannot be missed in theatres. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmega hold their own as the Perron's and EVERY SINGLE child actor owned the screen. All acting was top notch and gave the viewer a throwback to original days of good horror, not the stuff we've seen nowadays. Time can only tell when a movie like this will come out again but we know now that James Wan is one of the best horror directors of our time.

Bringing Back The Terror

[billygoat1071 · 8/10 · 19 August 2013]

The Conjuring claims to be based on a true story about one of the Warrens' paranormal investigations. At this point, that fact doesn't quite matter, especially when this is mostly designed as a horror movie. And as a horror movie, its job is to offer real terror and take any ghostly elements seriously. The film isn't actually trying to give newer scares. This is old school stuff, but good old school horror movie stuff. This is the kind that gets to do more than pull off another jump scare trick. Another benefit the movie got is its director, James Wan, who delivers a crafty storytelling. The Conjuring is not terribly innovative, but I don't think it needed to. It's the execution that keeps everything so gripping, and I think we needed that in this suffering era of the genre.

The story is actually more than the haunting of the Perrons. The first act juxtaposed between their situation and the life of the Warrens. The Warrens side is a fascinating little exposition of their daily life and job, while the Perrons are introduced like any typical horror film that has a haunted house and family in it, the danger is slow burn until they get to realize they needed help. What makes this somewhat different from those clichés is we are also supposed to root and care for the investigators, like we do not want them to be harm by the spirits as well. For that, the tension becomes much effective.

Even at the less scary scenes, the film is also interesting. And yes, all the characters are worth rooting for. The major ones get their own stories told at the beginning and some flashbacks in the middle of the mystery. The performances are pretty enjoyable as they take the viewers into the characters' mind. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are excellent at exploring their roles and whatever they do are totally intriguing. Lili Taylor is engaging enough for shifting her character's innocence to something terrifying.

Most of the credit goes to director James Wan who makes it all compelling. We already accepted that jump scares are inevitable to our modern horror movies, but the better scares go when it shows its campiness, like the creepy update of the Annabelle doll, and some demonic masks and makeup. They are unlike to today's tricks that depend on gore and repetitive noise. There is also genuine terror can be felt in the quiet scenes. The finale is kind of ridiculous, but it's filled with energetic action which makes the ride even much fun. Apart from the scary stuff, the film continues to employ its style that serves a lot of magnificent shots. This could be one of the best looking movies I've seen this year. The music score brings sorts of good chills.

The Conjuring is no groundbreaker, but the film is best at recapturing the classic horror. Extra merit is fleshing out and adding depth to the story which made the ghost hunting investigation more thrilling. The craft is amazing and the performances are terrific. I think it has most of the things that lack in our horror films today; curiously setting the pieces together, relateable characters, good creeps, and full insanity. The Conjuring isn't meant to change the game, but because of the filmmakers' ambition and love for the genre, it is a marvelous experience.

Successful and effective chiller movie loaded with devilish horror , thrills and nightmares

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 3 September 2014]

Adequate and decent horror picture in which a family falls into supernatural terror filled with scary events , chills and lots of scares . Another creepy film in which keeps horror with yet another haunted house that causes creepy goings-on in a family such as the followings classic pictures : the original ¨Exorcist¨ film (by Friedkin) that spawned a wave of demonic possession movies that continues unabated today as ¨Changeling¨ (by Peter Medak), ¨Amytiville ¨(by Stuart Rosemberg) are two further examples of this sub-genre . Supernatural terror plenty of weird phenomenon , frights , scary beings , shocks , and eerie happenings . It deals with the Perron family formed by father (Ron Livingston) , mother (Lili Taylor , she researched The exorcist (1973) to prepare for her role) and five children move into an old house . Eight generations of families lived and died in the house before the Perrons moved in , but little do they know that the house is haunted . And some of the spirits from the families never left , deaths include two documented suicides, a poisoning death, the rape and murder of an 11-year old girl, two drownings, and the passing of four men who froze to death . Most deaths occurred within the Arnold family from which the nasty ghoul Bathsheba Sherman was descended . Paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson , this movie marks the third collaboration between James Wan and Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) work to help the family terrorized by a dark presence and ghastly mysteries in their farmhouse . There are three phases in this strange process : 1 : infestation , 2 : oppression and 3 : possession . They are attempting to find out the bottom of rare deeds by ways of the cellar and soon the poltergeists make their nasty appearance originating a lot of unusual rattles and creaks . The mediums seek to uncover the fantastic secrets that has left a witch dangerously connected to the real world .

This is a haunted house movie that contains restless horror as when the invisible and threatening beings attack . It includes usual poltergeists phenomenon caused by the scary entities with the ordinary ghastly shenanigans , the cracking floors , birds manifest as attackers , doors suddenly slam , screeching shouts , violent hitting , among others . Tension , creepy atmosphere , genuine chills , suspense is continued and appear lurking and menacing into dining room , hallway , basement and rooms . Great loads of screams , shocks , exploitation and terror abound with the usual poltergeists phenomenon caused by the scary entities . It's recreated with magnificent make-up and high grade plethora special effects which are frightening and horrifying the spectator . Based on real events , in fact Lorraine Warren and Andrea Perron served as consultants to director James Wan and the screenwriters , they both claim the movie is accurate to the real story of what happened to the Perrons during the 10 years they lived in the farm house ; as they investigated the Perrons' Rhode Island farmhouse in 1973 and 1974 . The film was given an R rating by the MPAA . The MPAA said simply that the film was so scary that there were no cuts or edits possible that would make it a viable PG-13 film ; the filmmakers did not want to alter the film's tone and accepted the R-rating without any appeals . The movie broke box office records after bringing in a total of $41 million at the box office during its opening weekend . It stands as the third highest grossing opening weekend for an R-rated horror film behind Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) and Hannibal (2001). The Conjuring made a total of $137 million at the box office.

Eerie musical score by Joseph Bishara creating a spooky atmosphere ; not only marks the second film composer Joseph Bishara has scored a James Wan film, but it is the second time he has played a demon figure for Wan , as he portrays the demon embodiment of Bathsheba Sherman and previously played a lipstick-faced demon in Insidious (2010). Dark as well atmospheric cinematography by John R. Leonetti who modeled the film's cinematography and atmosphere after vintage 1970s horror films. The film was well directed by James Wan and it was shot in just a few weeks . Wan is an expert writer and filmmaker on terror genre as he has demonstrated in ¨Saw¨ saga , ¨Dead silence¨, among others . James Wan also directed his biggest success ¨Insidious¨ equally starred by Patrick Wilson and similar technician team , cameraman : John Leonetti and musician : Joseph Bishara . And of course , it was followed by ¨Insidious Chapter 2¨ . Furthermore , producers are preparing ¨Insidious 3¨ and ¨The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist¨.

This movie is amazing

[monkeybrainjam · 9 June 2013]

Just saw it yesterday in Nocturna Fim Festival. It was an outstanding film. So well done, scripted and acted. The movie doesn't have any mercy on the audience and it's so disturbing you won't believe until you see.

I'm not gonna enter in details or spoilers, just gonna let you now it a movie that gonna stay for you for a while after you see it. It also opens a door for becoming quite a paranormal investigator myself, looking up for all the details mentioned in the movie, and getting amazed by it' accuracy.

This film it's made to become a new classic in the horror genre, not only because it's quality, but because it's fright factor.

The first half of the movie it's paced down, let you know and love the characters. but the second half! oh boy! it's so damn chilling it will keep you gasping and crawling your hands.

Very well done

A Gripping, Tense and Overall Masterful Genre Revival

[Simon_Says_Movies · 8/10 · 22 July 2013]

Like comedy, the horror genre can be a very subjective beast, finding or missing its mark as much do to its craft and execution as it does the particular individual who plops themselves into a theater seat. If something isn't scary to someone – someone who earnestly believes that of course – then a fright flick has failed at its core intent. Then we have something like James Wan's The Conjuring, an artful, confident throwback that succeeds in maintaining a high tensile level of pressure on our senses, crafting vital jump scares, a potent human element and all encompassing technical prowess. This is the type of brave, but stripped down horror filmmaking that forces you to analyze other elements besides just the full effectiveness of its frightening intent. Plus it's scary as hell.

The Conjuring completes a modern supernatural horror film trifecta started with Wan's own Insidious in 2010 and bridged by last year's unsettling Sinister. With these films the genre has proved that this is far from a dead, now inherently clichéd area of cinema and this effort is perhaps the best of all three. After breaking onto the scene in a big way with the trend setting Saw, the director took a bit of creative detour in the eyes of most with revenge thriller Death Sentence and supernatural doll flick Dead Silence (which is vastly underrated by the way) before rebounding with the aforementioned Insidious. For The Conjuring it seems Wan has taken everything he's learned – congealing everything he's found to be effective – and assembled them exquisitely and with ample new flare to boot.

The Conjuring pulls its inspiration from a case file of famed demonologists and paranormal investigators the Warrens, the husband and wife team who's other journeys inspired films such as The Amityville Horror. Here they are played respectively by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga who are now both genre regulars with roles in Insidious and the upcoming Chapter 2 due this year for the gentleman and Orphan and television's Psycho prequel Bates Motel for Farmiga. We've all seen the painful trope of priests, exorcists, psychics and every nut-job in between showing up at the eleventh hour to save a haunted family but the way they're approached in The Conjuring stands as one of the film's greatest strengths.

Though it's something that should be completely obvious out of the gate (but still something those inspired by the Warren's stories forget) this is just as much their story as those experiencing the phenomena. In giving nearly as much screen time to this duo as it does the Perron's (a seven family troop lead by actors Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor and their five daughters) we grow and involve with these nine individuals so when things get terrifying we not only feel just as much for everyone on screen but everyone gets a satisfying arc. It's something so rare in most horror films. Though this dynamic is certainly not presented through these two separate camps – the fearful and the experts – but the men bond over their love of cars and their wives and the women over the unfathomable: harm befalling their children. It's a satisfying an utterly untapped approach for the genre.

But "wait, wait" you proclaim "this is a horror movie after all, stop talking about the little girls and get to the scares!" Graciously, somewhat rude reader. The Conjuring is creepy, intermittently nightmarish, tense, gross, unsettling, and in its purest form, scary. This is the type of film that dares you not to hug yourself or laugh nervously in the hopes you deflect some iota of the sensation of primal fear. But these emotions are never extracted in a manipulative fashion and the jump scares are orchestrated effectively through physical objects falling, bumping, banging and generally causing off-putting noises, not blaring, out of context musical chords.

The camera work is also fantastic employing every angle imaginable and even some very impressive point of view and upside-down-spin shots. It's easily Wan's best directed effort to date but never one that lets its style eclipse the mood. Similarly his use of sound both in the score (which utilizes your average brooding options as well as sharp, grating notes that call back to horror of days gone by) and practical noises such as a strained rope swinging or a door slamming shut. Again, it all adds to the experience and in eventually pulling of the major frights.

Like most fare of this nature, the restrained tension does take a bit of a hit heading into the finale, as subtlety is sacrificed for more overt horror to resolve the story. Thankfully this change in approach is handled with just as much aplomb and also manages to deliver one of the most effective exorcism sequences in recent memory – a victory made all the more notable thanks to the generally overexposed and silly nature of that staple. It's not the perfect ending that the previous acts demanded but one that by no means insults the audience and still remains scary (if in a more upfront manner).

Perhaps the biggest compliment I can pay The Conjuring is that it actually deserves a sequel. There are tales of the Warrens left to tell and the acting is uniformly strong enough that revisiting these characters would be more a treat then a chore. It takes a skillful filmmaker to take well worn themes and approaches (while avoiding gore and a high body count to boot) and make them seem as original as ever. Coming from a huge horror buff and one that experiences more disappointments then the average soul can handle, I can earnestly say The Conjuring is one of the best ever and what can serve as a fantastic induction into the genre for the uninitiated.

Glad to see an R rated film do so well, but not sure why it is

[Aaron1375 · 6/10 · 28 July 2013]

I love horror films and I think a true horror film should be rated R. Unfortunately, over the years, the makers of films have tried their hardest to make everything they can into a PG-13 film, for reasons I cannot quite explain. As if there are that many 13 to 16 year old's whose parents will not take them to an R rated film to doom a good film to failure without them. Well this film is proving that they are not needed! For that I salute this movie and wish for its continued success. However, at the same time I am baffled as to why it is exactly doing so well. I went to this film and I have to say about the only haunted house cliché they were missing in this film was a cat scare. I was bored for a lot of this film to be quite honest. This film had some interesting story aspects and it also picked up near the end, but I just do not see what the fuss is about.

The story has a couple moving into a new house with their five daughters. Meanwhile, we are introduced to another couple who investigate paranormal activities. The family who moved into the new house seem to be coming under attack by a spirit and soon the paths will cross as the ones who investigate the paranormal come to the aid of the family. Things become dire when the mother of the family begins to act oddly and the strange presence that is tormenting the family finds its way into the home of the couple who investigate the strange happenings.

The acting is fairly decent which helped the film out immensely. As I said, I was getting bored here and there and it was only the acting that kept me awake. The scares were the typical loud noises in the night and at times I was reminded of various other haunting films such as Poltergeist, Amityville and a myriad of others. The film switches a bit in tone and turns into more of an exorcism movie, but that has been done before too in Amityville II: The Possession.

I do not want to give the impression that the film was bad, just a movie I have seen on more than one occasion. I find it strange that people are calling it original. It had good acting though and there were aspects of the story I enjoyed and thought interesting. To often though I felt that they used the book of haunted house clichés and were crossing off the ones they used. Like I said, I think they crossed off everyone, but were not able to cross off "Open door and cat jumps out."

Conjuring terror

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 6 October 2018]

Decided to re-watch both 'The Conjuring' films, with memories of really liking both, after watching, and not liking all that much, 'The Nun' (which was watched as part of my watching as many films of 2018 as possible quest) very recently. Just to see whether they held up, as good as remembered and whether they succeeded where 'The Nun' didn't and didn't make that film's mistakes.

On re-watch, 'The Conjuring' does hold up very well and actually just as good as remembered. It succeeds splendidly in where 'The Nun' failed and has none of its mistakes. 'The Conjuring' is not a perfect film, but it is very atmospheric, well made and genuinely scary, or at least to me it was. It is a very familiar premise, done to death actually, but the atmosphere stops it from being too predictable and there is enough freshness.

'The Conjuring' is overlong but its biggest, and only big, problem is the final act.

It did become repetitive and lost momentum at this point and the very end felt rushed.

Other than those, 'The Conjuring' is very good. It looks great, especially for horror films released in recent years (too many of which have looked like they were made on the schlocky cheap). It looks slick and stylish while having a spooky setting and suitably nightmarish lighting. The music is haunting and not over-bearing, recorded in a way that is not overly loud or obvious that it spoils the atmosphere (which was great because many horror films seen recently failed in this regard).

Script is not too awkward and is structured coherently, with nothing cheapening it like sluggish exposition or cheesy misplaced humour. The direction is meticulous in detail and clearly shows an engagement and ease with the material. The story takes time to unfold but doesn't get dull. As said too, 'The Conjuring' is genuinely scary, with actual tension, suspense and dread, in a palm-sweating and heart-pounding sense at its best, while not relying too much on jump scares (they are there but have build up and were surprising).

Found myself liking the characters more than expected. The leads were ones worth caring for, didn't get frustrated with them, wish for more personality or annoyed by them. The antagonist was frightening, was neither over-used or under-utilised and didn't look cheap. The acting also comes off well, especially Vera Farmiga while also impressed with how Lili Tyler coped with a role that on paper seemed limited.

Summarising, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Looks like a rip-off of so many horrors at once...

[arabnikita · 6/10 · 22 August 2013]

About 2 months ago I found out about The Conjuring and it got me really hyped up. Based on the trailers and other reviews it seemed like the next Amityville Horror or even something better. I have never been that disappointed...

The beginning of the movie was quite formidable and original but after the first twenty minutes it began to spin out of control. Piece by piece The Conjuring began to display elements stolen from other horror movies. Specific scenes that even a horror rookie can associate to some of the popular horrors out there, have been implemented throughout the movie... And the number of haunted house clichés could not have been any larger.

I am not trying to spoil anything but the ending was completely ridiculous. Last thing you want to do is to believe that this was based on real life events....

The jump scares were as predictable as it gets and the plots are being twisted for no particular reason with no positive outcome in any one of them

The only good thing is that the movie gives you an insight into the paranormal world and does it quite effectively, I personally kind of wanted to go and read more about demonology. For this the movie receives a plus.

If you haven't seen many haunted house or satanic horrors, you should definitely go and see this. On the other side, if you consider yourself a person who is quite educated in the horror genre, then you will be disappointed.

Forgettable

[hellholehorror · 5/10 · 11 October 2022]

This is well made but couldn't be much more forgettable. It utilises every trope in the supernatural possession genre without doing anything new. It is very well acted, directed and shot which is let down by the dull script. It is not that this is a bad film by any means at all, it is entertaining and generally holds your attention to the end but falls very short of being memorable, you'll forget this film just like you'll forget this review. I'm sure I'll be reviewing this again soon as I'd have forgotten I've watched it before. Stick to Hereditary (2018) or The Haunting (1999) and that's saying something.

Better Than Any Recent Horror Movie

[thewillt08 · 9/10 · 24 July 2013]

Hide and clap or clap and seek, whatever that game was it made me never want to play any version of hide and seek ever again. The Conjuring did something a horror movie hasn't been able to do in a long time. No, not scare the hell out of me but it didn't make me laugh. This movie was one of the scariest movies I have seen in a very long time. The jump scares were there but necessary and not as predictable. The story of the Warrens is one I have never heard about but the supernatural and demon possession is something I sort of believe in, and that made the movie feel more real. I really enjoyed this movie, let's see why.

A family is struggling on money and buys a house in the country off a bank auction. Little do they know, this house is haunted and has an awful past. When they bought the house you would think they would do the research on the history of the house but that is just me. From the mysterious leg tugs to the creepy doll that moves on its own, this movie knows how to scare. The terror and horror in this movie is overwhelming and lives up to the hype. It takes a lot to scare me in a movie and I have seen scarier movie there were many different ways this movie had an edge.

One of the first things I noticed was that all the characters looked pale. The opening scene is a side story with a few girls who are being terrorized by an old doll. Not only was the doll creepy but the poor girls looked terrible. There was no pigmentation in their face. In fact no character, even the Warrens had much color in their face. All the clothes the characters wore were dull colors and they were not vibrant. Almost every scene was dark. Even when the sun was out, it was cloudy and there were shadows everywhere. That was something I noticed early and it was the same throughout the entire movie and it made the movie scarier.

The scariest scene is easily when the mother plays hide and clap or whatever that game was called. Yes, I was too scared to remember, okay, don't judge me. Everything in this scene worked. The scared mother made the scare more believable and the acting she did. The music blended in well. The idea of turning on the lights is used a lot but it always works. She is running around the house trying to find the ghost and the jumps and spooks were great. The theater jumped and screamed at the end of the scene which ended in darkness and terror.

The major flaw in most horror movies is the acting. The acting in this movie, however, is actually pretty good. The family that is haunted has five kids and a few of them are stereotypical but they all do a good job. They each have a scene or two where they shine in their moment of terror. If they are scared then the audience is scared and the movie works. Seeing one of the youngest daughters sleep walk and bang her head against the closet was creepy and of course the entire movie starts with normal occurrences that are creepy and quickly elevate.

Was this movie perfect? No, there were some scenes where the movie slowed down and got a little out of hand. There are scenes that are supposed to be scary but aren't and they were hard to believe. The key to a movie like this is the backstory and the "based on a true story" gimmick. The Warrens are real people who were paranormal investigators but there were parts of this movie where this could not have possibly been real. There were times where I was taken out of the movie because a girl was being dragged by her hair because of a ghost or something. It is hard to make a scene like that work because it looks silly.

The characters of the Warrens themselves were unexpected. The movie focused on them just as much as it did on the family that was being haunted. The Warren's have a daughter of their own which was unexpected and she gets involved in a creepy scene as well. They had really good chemistry but their acting was a little weak at times. The Conjuring was a good time and I had fun with the movie but I don't think I would see it again. I think it only has the real effect once.

Overall The Conjuring is a very good horror movie. Is that really saying much? Well, you tell me. I'm not a huge fan of horror movies. They are usually poorly made and cheap, but this one was different. It didn't rely on jump scares and cheesy tricks, but rather clever movements with the camera and limited CGI. The presentation of this movie was great and the writing clever. The backstory to this movie interesting and I bought it. I believe things like this happen but the movie needs to exaggerate it to make money and a good movie. I usually hate horror movies and laugh at them but this one was different. I was legitimately scared and I had fun. The scare wasn't constant and it wasn't there long but it was there. Some movies the scare is always there but in this movie it was here in bursts. For being the scariest movie I have seen in a long time it gets the WillyT Scaredy Pants Award. That's my horror genre rating so it also gets the WillyT Recommendation.

Effective horror

[andreascaloni · 8/10 · 19 February 2021]

The Conjuring directed by James Wan is a great ghost story that tells the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren, world renowned paranormal investigators, who were called to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives. The Conjuring revels in great scares well placed. It has a strong cast and an atmosphere of real dread. James Wan has created a fun, scary and beautiful looking movie. The movie is an entertaining old-school freakout, one of the smartest and most effective horror in the last decade.

Rating: 8,5.

Well made, but why so predictable?

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 14 June 2014]

Director James Wan said that he watched loads of '70s haunted house movies before sitting down to direct this, his latest horror movie after the INSIDIOUS flicks. Unfortunately, it appears that the co-writers of the script also watched all the same movies, because this turns out to be yet another entirely predictable exercise in fear-building.

I don't really have a huge problem with THE CONJURING, other than to say that it's all been done - and been done better - before. The old movies like THE AMITYVILLE HORROR and THE ENTITY just seemed to have more authenticity, better production values, and a freshness that made them more frightening. THE CONJURING, meanwhile, goes through the motions without ever offering anything even remotely resembling new.

Saying that, it's pretty good by modern genre standards and a lot better than the schlocky INSIDIOUS movies, also starring Patrick Wilson. The characters played by Wilson and Farmiga are entertaining, not least because they're based on a true-life ghost-busting couple (although to credit them as the "world's most renowned" is insulting, given the reputation of other noted paranormal investigators in recent history such as Peter Underwood, Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair).

The film looks good, and the cast can't be faulted for really getting behind their characters. A shame, then, that Wan is severely lacking in imagination when it comes to the scares. Typically they involve spooky wardrobes, characters descending into cobwebby and unlit rooms, and loud noises on otherwise quiet soundtracks. All very predictable. And the ending goes down THE EXORCIST route again, which is disappointing. Like SINISTER, this is a film with bags of atmosphere and lots of potential which is well worth a watch for genre fans, but it lacks the magic spark to make it anything other than average.

Scariest Movie of Haunted House and Exorcism that I Have Seen in Years

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 12 December 2013]

In 1971, the family man Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) and his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor) move to an old farmhouse in Rhode Island with their daughters Andrea (Shanley Caswell), Nancy (Hayley McFarland), Christine (Joey King), Cindy (Mackenzie Foy) and April (Kyla Deaver). The family finds a hidden basement which the entrance is locked with planks. Soon they are haunted by noises and ghosts and Carolyn meets the famous paranormal investigators Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson). They visit the house and Lorraine and Ed feel that the house is possessed by a fiend. Their further investigation shows that a witch has sacrificed her seven-day baby to Satan and has possessed other mothers that lived in the real estate to kill their children. Lorraine and Ed bring his friends Drew (Shannon Kook) and Brad (John Brotherton) to help them to collect evidences to convince the Church that it is necessary an exorcism to save The Perron family from evil.

"The Conjuring" is the scariest movie of haunted house and exorcism that I have seen in years and the best horror movie after "Insidious". The director James Wan, from "Insidious", makes another great horror movie using the usual clichés of the genre but with high quality. The escalating of tension is based on the atmosphere in the house and the terror experienced by the Perron family and supported by a great cast with Lily Taylor, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson and Ron Livingstone. Patrick Wilson, from "Insidious", switches position and now performs a paranormal investigator instead of a haunted family man. The magnificent camera work is impressive with unusual angles. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Invocação do Mal" ("The Conjuring")

Note: On 10 July 2016, I saw this film again on Blu-Ray,

Average

[jamescammack · 6/10 · 8 August 2013]

This is, without a doubt, one of the most overrated films I've come across in many years.

For me, the film relied far too much on jump scares rather than the actual story: it took about 60 minutes until it got going. The acting was mediocre, and I say that because I didn't feel sympathetic for the characters. Personally, I preferred Vera Farmiga (Lorraine Warren) in 'Orphan' as opposed to 'The Conjuring' - I feel as if she was wasted a bit here.

I never really got the director's intentions in this film and I feel there could have been more of a story to it. Films such as 'Martyrs' and 'Sinister', which I'd highly recommend, were both able to attach an equal amount of weight to the story as well as the horror.

As for the ending, it was extremely weak. In fact, it was pathetic. I think the conclusion could have been dealt with much better.

The film was okay, and I can definitely say I've seen worse horror films in my life, but I honestly can't see how people can rate it anything above 7. It just didn't do it for me, personally. I expected much more "horror".

A good film? Yes. A good "horror" film? Not at all.

True Story...Really!

[sankhan99 · 7/10 · 23 February 2014]

It's hard for me to believe that its True Story. I think only names are real but rest is just made up story. Although film is great and has everything which one good horror film should have.

Story is well written(other than point I mentioned above. All parts of story are well connected. You will see no major loop hole in it. Direction is very great and everything is well placed that why this film quite stand out when the market is flooded with horror movies. One thing I must mentioned is, it's great editing and well placed sound effects will give you lots of goose bumps for sure as I experienced a lot myself. As their is not margin of acting in Action and horror films but actors have tried well in this respect and their performance is mush better comparatively.

All in all its thoroughly a horror movie. It has all the things which a good horror movie should have. Best thing is, I can easily be recommended to anybody not necessarily a horror lover. And anyone can enjoy it. Lots of shocks and goose bumps so its must watch on any ordinary day but weak heart people avoid it in dark, rainy night with their room lights off...specially if they are alone.

Still though, The Conjuring is a film that works though it does lack originality.

[alexcomputerkid · 8/10 · 22 August 2014]

If you say you like horror, you would have to know James Wan. He is a director who's only made a impact since the 2000's but it's a big mark indeed. He first created Saw in 2004 which was a clever and original torture film that later turned into six more films. Dead Silence came next for him which I've never seen but it has killer dolls in the plot that comes off as original even in pre-watch. Even though more of a physiological film, he created Death Sentence in 2007 which can be described as a crime film. He went back horror in 2010 with Insidious which felt something similar to the classic Poltergeist, with a family getting haunted by a demon and Insidious 2 came in 2013.

With Wan announcing himself directing the next Fast and Furious, it's now safe to say that horror may be done for him and he's going in another direction. Regardless of where he's going, I'm going to support him because I am a fan of his. The Conjuring as possibly his last horror movie fits solidly into his filmography though.

Based off a true story and set in the 70's, a family of six with five daughters move into a country house looking for a new start and really a new chapter on life. After what seems like random noises that could be found throughout any house, the Perron family starts to notice that these aren't random noises and they later contact paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Fleming) Warren. This is a haunted house film with also some homage to the 70's and of course it's horror.

If you ever seen Wan's previous work, Insidious which we have talked about, then you know what the The Conjuring is. Like Insidious, The Conjuring has a family, investigators and Patrick Wilson was also in Insidious. Still though, The Conjuring is a film that works though it does lack originality.

The list of why this works without originality is granted very long. Setting this movie in the 70's is fresh and innovating. Ed and Lorraine are the type of characters that are very interesting and the movie has a very cool premise. These are the type of characters I could watch quite often in movies to come. Lili Taylor in particular delivers a performance that stands above them all. The movie provides many scares, at least it did for me, and for a person who doesn't get scared by many things, that's definitely saying something. I can also appreciate the smart ending here that just makes you appreciate how much James Wan knows horror.

With a sequel set to be put out in 2015 and spin-off film coming out the first week of October in 2014, the future of this film is far from over. It is something I am surely looking forward to. The Conjuring won't go down as Wan's best work but it won't be his worst work either. I would put it in the middle o his filmography.

An Excellent,Scary,Terrifying And Suspenseful Supernatural Horror Film. James Wan At His Best.

[jcbutthead86 · 10/10 · 6 March 2014]

The Conjuring is an excellent,scary and suspenseful Supernatural Horror film that combines amazing direction,a great cast,non-stop terror and a creepy,intense score elements that make The Conjuring a great Horror film and is James Wan at his best.

Based on a true story and set in 1971,The Conjuring tells the story of Carolyn and Roger Perron(Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston)who along with their five daughters have moved into a new house on the countryside of Rhode Island. While the Perron's are in their new house,the family discovers that the them and the house are being haunted by ghosts and evil spirits. With nowhere to turn,the Perron's ask for the help of Lorraine and Ed Warren(Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson),paranormal investigators to get rid of the evil spirits and save their family.

The Conjuring is an amazing and frightening Supernatural Horror film that right from the beginning puts viewers on edge giving people a scary and emotional experience that no one will ever forget. The Conjuring is also an old school Horror movie in the truest sense because it's a movie that takes us back to the Supernatural Horror films of the 1970s and 80s combining a ghost story with a demonic possession story mixing together and combining elements of classics such as The Shining(1980),Poltergeist(1982),The Haunting(1963)with The Exorcist(1973)and The Evil Dead(1982). And While The Conjuring doesn't nessarily reinvent the Supernatural Horror sub genre,the movie gives a fresh and entertaining take on the haunted house genre. Another thing the is old school about The Conjuring is the movie's scares and suspense which are effective and done with great timing and detail with intense build-up that grabs you by the throat. Director James Wan uses simple things to make the film creepy whether it's someone or something knocking on wood,moving doors,showing things from a distance giving viewers a sense of dread. The jump scares are not just in The Conjuring because it's a Horror movie but are in the film because they have meaning and power. Another thing that I love about The Conjuring is the way the movie uses atmosphere to make the movie scary using the darkness,haunting sounds and the characters reactions to the chaos going on all around which adds to the film's dark tone and the movie works greatly without blood and gore(although there is a couple of bloody moments in the film). Don't get me wrong while I love blood and gore in Horror movies,The Conjuring didn't need or require it because the whole film is about messing with you mentally than physically. You can almost say that The Conjuring is a continuation of James Wan's other haunted house movie before this one the terrific Insidious which shares some similarities with this film. At 112 minutes The Conjuring moves at a steady pace and there is never a dull moment and when watch the film you will be craving for more. One of the great things about The Conjuring is that this film is more of a character driven Horror movie like The Exorcist,Poltergeist or The Sixth Sense because with The Conjuring there is enough time and length for viewers to get to know the main characters in the Warren's and Parron's. While we don't get to know about the past history of the two couples but we see enough to feel sympathy for the Warren's and Parron's because when the scary stuff starts to happen we want them to survive. What makes the Warren's and Parron's great characters is that they don't feel like Slasher movie stock characters waiting to get killed off in the first 15 minutes but feel like real people dealing with a drastic situation. I love that the movie takes it's time with build-up not only with the scares and suspense but also with the characters which in my opinion makes the movie effective and makes The Conjuring a great and remarkable film. The ending of The Conjuring is terrific,scary and at the same time surprising because it's open ended leaving viewers with questions rather than answers.

The cast is outstanding. Vera Farminga and Patrick Wilson are excellent and memorable as Lorraine and Ed Warren,the paranormal investigators. Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston are brilliant as Carolyn and Roger Parron,the couple who's house is haunted. Shanley Caswell(Andrea),Hayley McFarland(Nancy),Joey King(Christine),Mackenzie Foy(Cindy),Klya Deaver(April)and Sterling Jerins(Judy Warren)do wonderful jobs as the kids in the film. Shannon Kook(Drew)and John Brotherton(Brad)give good performances as well.

The direction by James Wan is brilliant and stylish,with Wan always moving the camera with tracking shots,hand-held movements and creative angles giving the movie a creepy and frightening atmosphere. Great job,Wan.

The score by Joseph Bishara is terrific,haunting and intense and matches the movie's scary energy. Memorable score,Bishara.

In final word,if you love Horror Films,Supernatural movies or James Wan,I highly suggest you see The Conjuring,an excellent,scary and suspenseful Horror film that is James Wong at his best. Highly Recommended. 10/10.