Film Review: The Conjuring

  "The Conjuring"

  **** (out of ****)

When I first saw "The Conjuring" (2013) more than a decade ago in theaters, I didn't know there was going to be a sequel. I didn't know it was going to be the beginning of a cinematic universe. What I did know however was that "The Conjuring" was one effective horror movie. I even went as far as to call it one of the best films of 2013! 

To praise "The Conjuring" all these years later may not be such an unusual statement, given the box-office success the film achieved and its cultural impact. But it wasn't such a given back in 2013. The "movie critic" at the New York Daily News ended his "review" stating "If "The Conjuring" were less of a con job, horror fans would not feel equally as trapped." Sullying the good name of film critic Roger Ebert, the "critic" that "reviewed" the film on Ebert's website actually wrote, "There's nothing really scary about Wan's latest because there's nothing particularly mysterious, or inviting about its proceedings." This "critic" even called the film's scenario "thunderously stupid"! Of course these opinions haven't aged well because the overwhelming majority of critics and audience members enjoyed "The Conjuring", leading me to wonder about the ability of these writers to assess film and art in the first place. But given that this is the year of Was I Right - my year long theme of rewatching movies I previously placed on various top ten lists to determine if I was right to chose them - I decided to take another look at the film.

When I think of the golden age of horror movies my mind races back to the Universal monster films of the 1930s and 40s - "Dracula" (1931), "Frankenstein" (1931), "The Mummy" (1932) and "The Wolf Man" (1941). I would argue however that around the time of "The Conjuring" was the beginning of another period of horror movies that could be labeled a "golden age". After the release of "The Conjuring" came "The Babadook" (2014), "Lights Out" (2016), "Annabelle: Creation" (2017), and several other films associated with the Conjuring Universe. Practically all of which made my annual top ten lists. The last decade was a real high mark for the horror genre. And like it or not but a lot of that was due to "The Conjuring" and its success. 

What made "The Conjuring" such an impressive horror film was its cinematic approach and sensibilities. It was a throwback to another golden age of horror films, the 1970s, which is the time period "The Conjuring" takes place in. That isn't merely my own observation but was routinely cited by better critics than the ones referenced above as to what made this film work. New York Times critic Manohla Dargis noted in her review, "The Conjuring" isn't just primarily set in the 1970s, it also taps into the paranoia that is both an evergreen American trait and a crucial characteristic of the films of that era, horror and otherwise." While over at USA Today critic Claudia Puig declared "it brings to mind '70s supernatural horror films such as The Exorcist with its stillness, steady build of suspense and handsome cinematography."

I've often said, usually when talking about food at restaurants, so many chefs want to "update" classic dishes and "improve" them. Frequently I find the "improvements" disappoint. My feeling is learn to perfect the dish the proper traditional way and then, if you must, update it. The point is to understand the foundation of something. It is the same thing with movies and directors. So many times filmmakers want to avoid being "old hat" that they want to come along and reinvent the wheel but they haven't perfected the fundamentals. Director James Wan understood this with "The Conjuring". Wan and his film didn't reinvent the wheel. "The Conjuring" wasn't a game changer in terms of its techniques. It simply took the so-called clichés of the genre and presented them in the best way possible. Clichés get a bad name because we more often than not see them presented badly in films. Nothing terribly original is being done in Hollywood. People are still using the old standby clichés but merely altering them around the edges. Gender and racial recasting of roles is an example. Combing tropes from two different genres is another. But the clichés are clichés for a reason, they work. We just don't see directors effectively use them because they want to be edgy. But by simply telling his story calmly, logically and straightforward Wan turned "The Conjuring" into something special. It wasn't a relic. Instead it set forward a new path. Just learn the fundamentals.  

"The Conjuring" like so many horror films before it, is a variation on our fears of the dark and sounds that go bump in the night. Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) and his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor) along with their five daughters (Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, Mackenzie Foy, and Kyla Deaver) have moved into an old Rhode Island home they bought at an auction. On the surface the home looks fine but slowly things start to go amiss. The family dog refuses to enter the home. All the clocks in the house stop every night at 3:07 am. The home is always chilly despite the furnace properly working. And on and on it goes. Wan is building the tension, almost like winding a clock. And while perhaps some in the audience will say they have figured out the issue, that misses the point. Knowing that something supernatural is causing these disturbances isn't a secret or a plot twist. We knew that even in 2013 before we bought our ticket. It is watching how the tension snaps that will please audiences.

 

The added layer here is the film is credited as having been based on true events, as documented by self-proclaimed demonologists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren. One of their most famous cases was the inspiration for the movie "The Amityville Horror" (1979) however as the marketing for "The Conjuring" indicated - go and watch the trailer - this case was kept a "secret" because of how disturbing it was. Only now could the story be told.

Yes, that may be an example of gimmicky sensationalism but everything else in "The Conjuring" is simple and well told. And that, in some ways, makes the story believable. We accept these characters as a family. Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor are a realistic couple and parents. Their reaction to the events around them come across as natural. We relate to them. Taylor in particular is a standout and has some great moments.

Pay attention to a wonderful sequence involving the discovery of a basement. Notice the acting, the framing, and Wan's usage of tried and true techniques. The daughters are playing a game and accidentally knock over a board in their closest. The noise gets mom and dad's attention and soon it is realized there is a doorway being hidden in the closet that leads to a basement. The viewer is already ahead of the characters, the basement was boarded up as a preventive measure to keep spirits away. The father goes down the stairs to the basement to investigate. Mom and the daughters back away so what we are seeing in the distance of the shot is doorway of the basement, which is pitch black. Mom calls out to dad to find out what is down there as the uneasiness reveals itself in her voice and her and the daughters' behavior. All the while the audience is waiting for something not only sinister to happen but for something to come through that black doorway. Why else would it be in frame? That's one example of Wan's understanding of the horror genre. We've seen shots like it before in various other films but it works here because it is done well.

In a sense Wan is playing the audience like a piano. He knows how to build anticipation. Not every moment will be like the one with the basement, as the viewer waits for something to to pop out of the darkness. Wan knows he must switch things up. He takes two approaches. On the one hand he will have only the characters be able to see ghosts and spirits and deny the audience of their presence. The characters will describe the horrific site in front of them which is meant to play on our imagination. It is an old technique that was perfected in such 1940s B horror movies as "The Cat People" (1942) and "The Leopard Man" (1943). The idea being what our minds will imagine will be scarier than anything that will appear on the screen. The second approach is to actually show us a demonic spirit. This of course hits us like a jolt and gives us what some might call a "cheap scare". But not knowing which approach Wan will take in any given scene adds to the anticipation. Wan is also smart enough to know there are times he must defuse the situation to give the audience a breather and find humor.

Like the best horror films of the 1970s, "The Conjuring" also adds a religious undertone to the film, solidifying this battle between good and evil. Ed Warren is not a priest or a member of the church in any compacity. Nor is Lorraine. But they are presented as believers. Making them kind of the moral center of the film. Lorraine is seen with a rosary in her hand. They even suggest to Roger and Carolyn that they may want to baptize their children. 

Personally I've always appreciated the religious undertone in films such as "The Exorcist" (1973), "Rosemary's Baby" (1968), and "The Omen" (1976). In fact you could make the case Christianity and the horror genre go hand in hand. What's one way to stop Dracula? Show him a crucifix. If you are a believer, these films play to your perception of reality. And that's what makes them scary. The notion that this could happen. A person could be possessed by a spirit. Exorcism is real. "The Conjuring" plays into this. Ed and Lorraine Warren aren't presented as frauds. They are well meaning people. In the decades following the '70s there was sometimes a tendency to make the religious characters the villains instead of the heroes or try to make the films as secular as possible - think  "Scream"  (1996) and the teen horror films that followed.

And just as convincing as Livingston and Taylor are as a couple so too are Wilson and Farmiga and once again it is the female that turns in the more effective performance. While the Ed and Lorraine characters are the moral center of "The Conjuring", Lorraine is in many ways the film's heart. In Farmiga's hands she presents Lorraine as a nurturing mother figure. In fact much in the film's plot revolves around mothers and children. Which may explain why Carolyn and Lorraine are such intricate characters. In Sarah Mankoff's review in Film Comment she also picked up on the strength of the female characters phrasing it as "the men are mostly relegated to the observation deck, while the women prove to be far more empathetic and therefore more appealing souls for the demons to invade."

As a filmmaker James Wan can sometimes swing wildly at both ends of the spectrum. In addition to "The Conjuring", I really admired one of his prior films, "Insidious" (2010), also with Patrick Wilson. And "The Conjuring 2" (2016) got another four stars out of me. But I was put off by "Saw" (2004) and his most recent work, "Malignant" (2021), another 1970s, Dario Argento-ish inspiration. I actually placed "Malignant" on my worst films of 2021 list! Through it all though Wan has shown he has a good eye and knows how to create suspense and atmosphere. There were moments in "Insidious" that could only be described as eerie. 

"The Conjuring" is the kind of horror film I personally like best. It has a psychological element to it. It isn't a slasher movie, slicing and dicing characters. That never scared me. I just found it disgusting. I also liked films like "The Conjuring" that created a sense of impending doom with the threat of evil in the air. They didn't need to shock us by over using the presence of the villain, to the point we are immune to the sight of the character. A mistake I feel the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series and "Friday the 13th" make.

After taking another look at "The Conjuring", was I right to place it on my top ten list in 2013? Yes. Each and every time I have watched it I have found it effective. The style and atmosphere it creates always pulls in me and the performances always seem convincing.

Horror movies, to some Hollywood insiders and film critic snobs, lacks the cache of great cinema but there were some critics willing to recognize "The Conjuring" on their top ten lists including publications such as Entertainment Weekly, Time Out New York, and Variety. It was not able however to secure nominations of any major awards instead getting nominated by originations like Critics Choice Award, MTV Movie + TV Awards, and a People's Choice Award. The greatest indication of its success may have been its box-office. Made on a $20 million dollar budget, it grossed domestically more than $130 million dollars and over $300 million worldwide.   

And of course it was the beginning of The Conjuring Universe which has included films such as "Annabelle" (2014), "The Nun" (2018), and two additional "Conjuring" sequels. There can, understandably, be a tendency to view this "Universe" as nothing more than a cash grab. Normally I would agree but the difference is, I find each one of these films to be well made. It really did rejuvenate the genre and make the last decade a golden age for fans of horror films. I had never before placed as many horror films on my top ten lists as I did during the decade. I even had to include the "Universe" as a whole on my list of the best films of the last decade.

"The Conjuring" was a welcomed addition to both the demonic possession and haunted house genre. Wan expertly tells his story relying on the fundamentals of the genre. Carefully crafted there are effective performances from Vera Farmiga and Lili Taylor - who was in another haunted house movie, "The Haunting" (1999) - adding emotional depth to the story. Some may say it is predictable but I say it is an excellent example of genre filmmaking.