Tags
Annabelle, film, Halloween, Horror, horror movies, movies, The Conjuring
The Conjuring is a 2013 supernatural horror film released in 2013, directed by James Wan, and stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Conjuring follows Ed and Lorraine Warren assisting the Perron family, where they believe they are being haunted by a demonic spirit. The Conjuring was a highly successful film, and spawned the second highest grossing horror franchise of all time, featuring seven films so far. Most of the other films are consistently entertaining, with the exception of maybe Annabelle.
I’m not sure if The Conjuring is my favorite of the franchise (I really love The Conjuring 2 and Annabelle: Creation), however I included this film due to its influence and creating the franchise. The Conjuring is honestly where I think the blockbuster style of horror needs to be moving forward. It makes great work its atmosphere and does well to terrify the audience. The performances by Wilson and Farmiga are very powerful and help build an understanding of the characters. Not only do you care about The Warrens, but you also care about Carolyn Perron, and the rest of her family. There is very little CGI as well, most of the scares are done by utilizing practical effects. The scares also build in intensity, which is a great way to ramp up the tension, and put everyone on edge. Another thing this film does well is that it doesn’t use the tired horror trope of the false jump scare. The Conjuring does have some jump scares but they are done the right way, and it combines that with creepy imagery and frightening scenarios, making the most of the dreadful atmosphere it builds. The cinematography is beautiful, and the lighting is crazy good as well, especially towards the end of the film.
A lot of people think that The Conjuring is about Annabelle, which is the doll. This has little to nothing to do with Annabelle, so if that is what you are watching the movie for, then you may be disappointed.
This film could have fallen into formulaic horror movie madness, however thanks to Wan’s direction and understanding of what makes horror so terrifying, this is one of the best horror films to be released this decade. If you are interested at all, I also highly recommend The Conjuring 2, as well as Annabelle: Creation. They are also master classes of modern day horror, all thanks to The Conjuring.