The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) User Reviews

Change the director for the next part please.

[ranapreet2255 · 6/10 · 4 June 2021]

Least scariest out of whole conjuring universe.

Story line was fine, first half an hour was great, makes you hopeful, ending wasn't.

The movie is directed by the same director who directed The curse of La Llarona, I don't like it very much. Bring James Wan back, let him do his magic for the next part.

We love this franchise, therefore our expectations are always high. Don't disappoint us next time.

We missed you James!

[akerstrom_94 · 6/10 · 8 June 2021]

NO SPOILERS! Weakest of the series and and I have to believe the missing piece was director James Wan. The scares were way too predictable, the script felt one note and even though I went in cold I could still see the ending a mile away. Solid turns by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as they have always done but still even they couldn't elevate this one.

Not terrible, not great

[jakerz-74411 · 6/10 · 9 June 2021]

Super predictable jump scares, not nearly as scary as the other movies, it's so easy to tell when something scary is about to happen but when it does it's not even really scary.

But I will say the acting is great and the story is told pretty well, this however has to be one of the most embellished of the movies yet. It's honestly more of an action thriller than a horror movie.

Decent follow-up, but lacks tension

[amonteirojr · 6/10 · 8 June 2021]

Not hating on the movie and I'm actually glad they moved away from the haunted house formula, injecting a bit of other genres like criminal investigation but even though it's well paced, there's less of those nail bitting moments i love from the series. The cast still deliver the goods and the story, despite having a few weak spots was still engaging, but with far less memorable moments compared to the previous chapters.

Without Wan directing it doesn't have that same detail and dynamic, but it does continue the Warren's adventures serviceably with solid story/scares.

[tresm87 · 7/10 · 28 May 2021]

As I said, the film doesn't have the same power and unique feel as Wan's 2, but it is a nice continuation in the franchise with an intriguing story that does delve into the crime drama genre along with giving us the scares we come to know. You can tell Wan still was involved with certain camera works and scare concepts much like he was with the mediocre yet entraining curse of LaLlarona which this director Michael Chaves debuted on. While he doesn't fill Wan's shoes at all, he was able to follow a certain format for this particular franchise to move forward though at dragging pace at times.

The actors are all very good as usual and the duo of Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as the Warren's are phenomenal bursting with emotion as always. They carry this film completely. The effects are decently executed and the cgi looks near flawless. Some of the scares are a mixed bag of ambition and some are tremendously cliche, but they all do their jobs for the horror aspect. The ominous settings are fantastic and add rich environment for the frights to flourish.

Overall it's an effort that felt satisfying to see the premier franchise continue, but there's a definitive void without Wan's genius eye.

Why Fix what isn't broken??

[colinrfricke · 5/10 · 13 June 2021]

This third movie in the series was just ok. The director attempted to move the story away from the typical haunted house storyline of the previous two films. The problem is that the first couple films were very much liked so why deviate? True there needs to be some variety but most of these hauntings have enough variety to satisfy that.

The beginning scene is the best as it is the climax scene in a typical Conjuring movie, the exorcism. The film then devolves into satanic curses and flashy special effects while Ed and Lorraine investigate the source. In the end there is a small step between the sublime and the ridiculous and this film takes that step big time. They made the same error with the Conjuring 2 where the end scene with the lightning and the tree windows bursting would put to rest any question of demonic possession. This film goes even further with levitating and exploding windows and helicopters around.

Still the movie has some redeeming qualities. The special effects are good and the investigation, while choppy and navigating without a compass at times, is still intriguing. The scares are less but they are still there. This would be a good horror movie standalone but as a Conjuring movie it is weaker.

The most disappointing part is that the "true" story (depends if you believe in this stuff) would have made for a good movie. The documentary from Discovery "A Haunting" covered this case and it was a very good episode when I saw it.

In the end it is worth your time but it is a weak link in the series. I feel they should return to their roots for a Conjuring 4.

Edge of your seat account of the case file

[labyrinthoflife-40160 · 10/10 · 7 June 2021]

There isn't a dull or slow moment in this film. Countless times I had the hair on my arms standing up and jumped a couple times too. Since this is based on a true account of the Warren's case files, it appears accurate. This film will force u to believe in Christ.

A decent sequel.... without the scares!

[conn-57441 · 7/10 · 26 May 2021]

After watching the 'The Conjuring: Devil made me do it' at an early screening last night, I have to admit I was a little disappointed that it didn't live up to the expectations of the previous two films in the main trilogy ( however it stands tall over the spin offs, so don't worry there).

To start off with what I did like, the direction in this instalment is a nice change of pace. With the Warrens looking to save a man on death row after supposedly killing an individual while possessed by a demon. Without going into spoilers the plot shakes things up a bit from the previous two films with the likes of Satanic cults and more or a detective style approach.

I personally would of loved to see more of a focus on the court side of the case and the reaction of the defendants plea, it would of been a really refreshing direction for this film but what we get still isn't bad.

The Warrens are still great in this film with both Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga having a real chemistry on screen and still being one of the most lovable protagonists in horror media in a long time.

However with all this said, I believe this 'horror' film does fail in one department, and that is in its scares.

It's a shame to say as I believe the previous two instalments had some unique moments of terror.

Whereas in this film most moments are so easily telegraphed to an obvious jumpscare that you can see a mile away, or more unique set pieces unfortunately spoilt by the trailers.

With all that said, this is still a decent sequel, just not the terrifying sequel I had hoped for!

Where is the horror?!

[dhirenjb · 4/10 · 3 June 2021]

This movie is such a drag. So unlike the previous installments. There is absolutely no tension and you don't feel connected with the characters.

Put Wan back into the director's chair !

Mixture of exorcism, gruesome murder and spiritual investigation!

[tonykwok-82605 · 8/10 · 30 May 2021]

The film actually is very intense from the beginning till the end. Full of murder, mystery and suspense surprises with a bit of spiritual twist! However, I think James Wan is still an edge better in the making of the Conjuring.

ToOo mUcH StORy

[dsohn7 · 7/10 · 5 June 2021]

Everyone who's complaining that they're too much story and not enough scares, are you kidding? Story and character is the reason why we care about the stakes-that's where drama, tension and horror comes from. If it was all jump scares and lacking in story (the movie Winchester comes to mind), I guarantee y'all would've been even more disappointed. But if that's your thing, you'll probably be just as entertained by a jack in the box. While remaining faithful to the Conjuring universe, I appreciated that this third movie explored new territory so it wasn't just a repeat. It is a quality addition to the series with good production value, and much more thoughtfully-written than the spin offs. It's a win for what it is considering the impossible task the writer and the director had of pleasing all these harsh fans who couldn't even tell you what they liked about the first two conjuring movies other than "it was scary."

sorry if that's you and I read you for filth; go ahead and downvote my review ;-)

The weakest, but still solid

[PedroPires90 · 7/10 · 28 May 2021]

It's a different Conjuring, trying and innovating, not only in the story (no haunted house here) but also in the use of camera/direction, where we feel that we have a new director and with a different identity (good).

The scaries don't work as well as in the first two films and the new characters aren't as intriguing as The Nun or Annabelle, so, even if we still have very strong horror moments, we don't feel the same tension as we felt in the previous two. The Warrens do, once again, a fantastic job and I loved some references to The Shining or A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Personally, I still think the 2nd is the best Conjuring by a large margin (scarier, frenetic, fantastic direction, editing, atmosphere, London). The first one isn't as scary as the second, but it's really well executed with a very strong plot. This one is the weakest, but it's still interesting to see the couple in a different type of story and it's still a pretty solid horror film.

lacks tension

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 10 June 2021]

It's 1981. The Warrens (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga) are participating in the exorcism of a boy named David Glatzel. It leads to the case of Arne Johnson who claims that The Devil Made Me Do It.

I noticed early on that there is limited tension in this movie. I figured out that I don't care about Arne and nothing will happen to the Warrens since this is a prequel. I don't know any of these new people. Once Arne is in prison, I also realized that the legal system would never let him go. The Warrens can't prove this stuff in a court of law. It all culminates with the realization that this story is more a courtroom drama than a horror. This is not scary. As a horror, it is a stale by-the-coloring-book movie. It has nothing inventive or compelling. The supernatural becomes a series of random superpowers. I still love the Warrens but this is a bland superhero movie.

The devil made me write this

[maypaul-96980 · 6/10 · 26 May 2021]

I watched the conjuring: the devil made me do it last night (25.5.21) at a special pre-screening and it is A very good film. It's also different than the previous haunted house conjurings and goes for the possessed murder case (similar to the exorcism of Emily rose) but this is better.

I really enjoyed it and hope for more conjuring universe movies (the crooked man)

Did the Devil make them produce this trash?

[apoehler-70695 · 1/10 · 5 June 2021]

Have never written a review until now because this movie was beyond dissappointing. First off, if you're looking for suspense, tension, demons, decent cinematography...all the goods of the first films...you will not find it in the almost 2 hours of pieced together rubbish that is the conjuring 3. There is zero character development and by the end you won't even care that you don't understand what is going on. The special effects are laughable, as is the dialog and whatever the plot is. Plot holes, plot holes everywhere. James Wan, you were sorely missed! Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga deserved better.

Fantastic

[craigswift-23075 · 8/10 · 30 May 2021]

This was a great film. The two main stars really anchor these films and provide the emotion and the gravity to the film.

Lots of scares and it made me jump which doesn't happen often.

It's good that it's different to the first two films and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

Thumbs up from me.

Not the same without James Wan

[jharaldson-73888 · 7/10 · 5 June 2021]

It's not a bad movie at all. I quite enjoyed it. I just went into the movie prepared not to like it as much as the previous Conjuring's or even some of the spin offs, so it did exceed my expectations on how much I liked it, the damn witch lady was creepy as hell. But it still isn't the same creepy as the other movies. Without comparing it to the other films it's actually good. But I just can't help but to compare just because of the name of movie. Basically the order of the movies is 1-3 with the first being the best and the latest entry the worst, I actually like the first two Annabelle movies more than the third Conjuring, but that's because those were more creepy and scary tone than this. But overall I will watch this movie again and did enjoy seeing the Warrens on another adventure to save the day. It's always a treat to see Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga acting alongside each other, good chemistry as Ed and Lorraine.

Just Ok. More story than scares and lack of suspense.

[med-01081 · 5/10 · 28 May 2021]

I was looking forward to this film and the dreaded suspense and scares that this franchise has mastered over the years and was left disappointed. What we got was more story of the Warren's and their battle against evil and the played out snapping body part movements that the Japanese mastered 20 years ago. The first two conjuring films had suspense and scares galore where you would almost hide from the anticipation of what is coming but on this occasion i found it a bit lacking. It is still worth a watch and the story is decent i just expected a lot more from what has been some of the best modern horror films to date.

I found the scares that the other reviewers missed

[kiersten_mork · 9/10 · 6 June 2021]

Looking at the reviews, and I see a lot of "where are the scares!". First of all, I'll say this movie is the best scary movie to come out in some time. Guys...we needed this.

Second, there were tons of moments that made my skin crawl, look away out of fear, and make me just downright feel all slimey and gross. The CGI is incredible in this film, I liked how they didn't hide anything like they've done in past movies (like that time a demon was being exorcised under a sheet...really?) in this movie, boy...you see lots. I find the scares were sophisticated, and definitely played with the psychological mind. I'd prefer that over tacky random jump scares any day. The scares made sense. That's all I want!

The antagonist was creepy, I just wish we learned a little bit more about the back story there. So much plot in so little time, I understand why some things were left out. I just wanted more!

Vera and Patrick were once again unstoppable. I will say I spent the first half of the movie very very very confused about who all the characters are and how they all know each other, aside from the main protagonists of course. But the kids...Are they related? Dating? Friends? Where does the little boy come from? Who knows! Maybe I missed something, but my mom and I were really confused and I had to google it mid-way LOL.

Anyways. Great movie, come for the scares, stay for the plot and execution. Well done, best horror movie of 2021? And possibly 2020?? Lol.

Mediocre

[shaik215 · 6/10 · 4 June 2021]

Nobody: Literally Nobody: Lorraine: (feeling a demonic presence) Something terrible has happened here.

Definitely weakest of the trilogy and nowhere near to the first two films. This has only a handful of horror elements. Although I had very low expectations considering JAMES WAN will not be directing it due to (cough) Aquaman. A very mediocre thrill time worth watching if you're a fan of this universe.

The Devil Made Me Yawn

[oi_ivan_oi · 5/10 · 8 June 2021]

Seriously, is this even a Conjuring movie? The story is draggy, boring, not scary at all. I wasted 2 hours of my valuable time.

OK film; carried by the two leads

[redban02 · 6/10 · 30 July 2023]

The movie has many issues: the first is its predictability; if you're familiar with horror movies in general, then you can likely predict what happens next. The movie isn't scary. The relationship between Debbie and Arne needed more time, especially since they rely on they attempt to lean on their relationship all of a sudden at the end. And lastly - the movie tries to make Arne seem sympathetic in the postscript, as if the real Arne Johnson was really possessed and therefore innocent (in truth, he was a criminal convicted of manslaughter)

But nonetheless - the movie is a fun B-level film. By far, the biggest asset is the performance of the two leads, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson. They were charming, likable, charismatic. I truly believe that they carry this otherwise flawed film.

Went into Scooby Doo territory

[helenbeasley · 6/10 · 8 June 2021]

I wanted to love this movie so much. The opening felt chaotic, loud and just obnoxious. The rest of it was just over the top silly with all the explaining and CGI. OH GOD THE CGI.

Doesn't derserve to share the same name as the original Conjuring film

[jtindahouse · 5/10 · 3 June 2021]

I try to avoid trailers for movies but the 'The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It' trailer came on before a couple of movies I went to in the cinema and I was forced to see it. I could tell even just from the trailer than James Wan's absence was going to be noticeable and significant. I hoped I was wrong - but I wasn't. To be fair I think that this story wasn't strong enough for him to touch anyway.

The story here felt really forced. What would've been interesting was to focus on the court case and how the defense of "Demonic Possession" would have held up. That's the movie I would've liked to see, however I understand that wouldn't have fit in with the horror genre the fans come to associate with 'The Conjuring' universe. All of the horror in this movie was ridiculous though. All the subtlety the original film had is completely gone.

The movie felt incredibly safe too. The film attained an R rating, however it could easily have scraped in at PG-13. What the 'Conjuring' universe has become in my mind is introduction horror for teenagers. Not once during this film did my heart-rate rise.

The only thing that keeps the film afloat is the characters of Ed and Lorraine Warren, and more importantly their charismatic performances by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. Sadly though I wish I could've saved my $20.00 spent seeing this in the cinema and just have watched it on HBO Max tomorrow. A big let down.

This scary universe is the one

[meredithw-99673 · 10/10 · 4 June 2021]

It is very difficult for cinema to make scary/horror/ghostly genres especially those that are based on true story, the director and the production on all 3 films have been amazing. This universe is definitely the best imo. The other universe that comes close is insidious series. I hope they make more conjuring. I love the true story based keep them films coming!