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MOVIE REVIEW: FTN reviews The Conjuring

July 30th, 2013 by Irwin Fletcher Comments


The Conjuring (15)
Directed by: James Wan
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson and  Lili Taylor
Running time: 113mins

Roger and Carolyn Perron and their five daughters move to a picturesque old house set away from the hustle and bustle of the city; the grounds of which lead out onto a beautiful lake and has plenty of greenery for their children to play in. Soon after moving in, the family encounters a number of strange occurrences, each becoming more threatening and dangerous than the last.

Seeking the help of professional paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Perron family soon discover that the malevolent entity in their home not only wants them out, but their very souls as well. Can the real-life husband and wife team save the Peron family before it’s too late?

The Conjuring is based upon a true story involving an incident that Ed and Lorraine Warren encountered in the 1970s. This film is based upon accounts by Lorraine and a member of the Perron Family and, to be fair, it is a chilling one.

The film sets itself clearly in the time period, indeed the cinematography and overall feel of the film certainly harks back to the days of The Omen, The Exorcist and The Entity.

The story in itself involves a pleasant family, who sadly purchase a house that has a lot of history behind it. This history is the basis for the film, and there is certainly a documentary feel to it in that the investigators clearly display to the Peron Family (and the audience) the methods and reasoning behind their actions, such as recording equipment, placing of religious objects and such.

It is these little touches that add creditability to the film’s narrative. However, whilst Director James Wan cranks up the tension in some scenes, the audience may not be able to help themselves from laughing from one or two well known and perhaps now clichéd horror film nuances such as the slow creaking of the doors and floorboards, the sudden gush of wind outside or the white noise coming from the television. In fact, whilst watching this film, it seems that the director lifted several key moments from a number of classic horror films and blended them into The Conjuring, sadly though, not all were of a frightening nature.

Whether or not you believe in the truth of this film, there is no denying that The Conjuring is an enjoyable movie. It has thrills and plenty of chills and at times a certain amount of humour (intentional or otherwise) and whilst the cast is not well know, this only adds to the realism of the characters in that you are watching because of the story and not the Hollywood A-Lister” status

The Conjuring, for all of its faults, is a good horror film and whilst the audience may be skeptical of how it really happened, there is no denying that they will be entertaine.; after all, isn’t that what a film is meant to do, albeit with this one, you might find you are missing a few fingernails after the screening!

4 out of 5 Nerds

I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.