The Conjuring Review

Old fashioned scares from the director of Saw and Insidious.

Set in 1971 and based on true events, real life married psychic investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) come to the aid of the Perron family (Ron Livingston and Lilli Taylor) whose new rundown farmhouse is home to a malevolent spirit that threatens the lives of their five children. In their time as investigators The Warrens have seen their fair share of supernatural phenomena but this latest case is something beyond their field of expertise.

Modern horror movies are often gore ridden shockers that hopelessly conform to the rules of the genre. Lashing of blood, violence, predictability and sex has seen a conveyer belt of remakes and sequels with only a handful of memorable films made in the last few years (take a bow Cabin in the Woods, The Strangers and Insidious). From the torture porn of Hostel to the J-Horror craze which saw countless American versions of better films and the decline of the old fashioned ghost story has been slowly cannibalised into endless found footage movies. Whilst horror is a varied genre occasionally something old school is needed to remind us that intelligent films can be made and buckets of fake blood aren’t needed to evoke a reaction from audiences.

Taking things back to basics James Wan’s simple but effective approach is a love letter to the classics the genre was built on but is so much more than a homage to the golden age of horror. There’s the usual mix of creepy nursery rhymes, creaking floorboards and poorly lit basements being explored, but it’s all handled so well that you just go along for the ride.

There might be no lion present but a scene involving a witch and a wardrobe will haunt your dreams and you will never quite look at an ajar wardrobe door the same way again. Perhaps more important than the chilling score by Joseph Bishara (who also appears) or the solid script by Carey & Chad Hayes, they’ve done wonders with the casting decisions with the presence of Taylor, Farmiga, Livingston and Wilson (who reunites with the direct????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????bject>