I hate to broadcast this, but “The Conjuring” is one of the best scary movies that I have seen in a long time. The reason that I am reluctant to admit it is because you need to exercise extreme caution before watching this film. It is not for the faint of heart. The content of this true-ish story about demon possession is as realistic as it is disturbing with a story that seamlessly weaves together several elements of great scary movies. First, it builds suspense by placing us into the shoes of the characters. There is a progression from hearing noises to seeing what causes the noises, then understanding where these spirits came from before they wage war on this family. The pacing is matched by the visual presentation. None of the imagery is completely original (birds flying into windows, doors slowly opening on their own, a creepy music box, ghostly faces appearing in a mirror, levitating bodies) but the visuals are consistently well done. The use of practical effects instead of CGI also ramps the realism up a notch. Interestingly, the Annabelle doll is probably the creepiest aspect of the film but only plays a small role in the story as an introduction to the Warrens. The writers did an amazing job of reincorporating her toward the end of the Perron’s story (almost like a cameo) and it works because we already know her history. As we later learned, this doll doesn’t have enough star power to carry an entire spinoff movie but she works perfectly as one element in a larger story. The thread that weaves the scary elements together is quality acting. Horror films often suffer from a lack of acting talent but this cast is the perfect selection of veteran Hollywood actors that aren’t readily associated with a particular role. Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts would not work in this film but Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson easily blend into their roles without that constant thought of “That’s the guy from…” Ron Livingston did well even though this was a very different role for him and the child actors gave vividly heart-wrenching performances. One of the toughest parts of this film is watching their helpless terror. All of that being said, Lili Taylor steals the spotlight. Her portrayal of Bathsheba’s attempt to take over Carolyn’s body is so disturbing that you will believe it. When the story reaches its fever pitch toward the end, I found myself unexpectedly emotional from the impassioned delivery of her lines. Horror films can certainly heighten our emotions but this was different. My experience at the climactic moment of this film was more like watching a great Oscar-winning drama than a horror film. “The Conjuring” is a lot more than another scary movie. It is almost artistic in its storytelling as we experience this demonic activity alongside the characters of the film. There are many things in this film that cannot be unseen and I recommend really thinking about it before allowing these images to enter your memory.
[Pictured: This seemingly innocent scene is one
of the reasons that you won’t be able to sleep after watching “The Conjuring.” I have a pit in my stomach just thinking about it]
