The Mosley Review: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

Horror films for the past 2 decades have had the chance to delve into different avenues and genres that are really unexpected for them to work. You have your psychological thrillers, political and social dramas and even family driven stories that are full heart and yet are blanketed in the thrills of a Grade A frightfest. The one genre that has taken a dip in quality is the supernatural genre. They have become formulaic and too reliant on their BOO facture that they've become almost equivalent to a action film. The Conjuring films brought the genre back to its roots of being truly spine chilling and haunting in their ability to tell a grounded story that is also real. Sure the spinoffs were more popcorn scares, but the core films were amazing. They tapped into what made films like The Exorcist so scary and I loved them for getting back to basics. Now comes the third entry in the core films and well, it wasn't as great or as terrifying as it could've been. Even though this film is based on real events, I felt that it was more in line with a murder mystery than a supernatural thriller. It felt linear and very paint by numbers as the story progressed. Even after a visually fun introduction, the terrors that befall the people were very plotted out and were on a timer that you could clock a mile away. The past films felt more unpredictable and took their time with the build to the next scare versus this were you're counting the seconds until the next prescribed jumpscare. That's where the film failed in it's execution, but the cast stilled dazzled.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren and they were as outstanding as you expect them to be. Ed sort of takes a back seat this time around and it was fun to see him use his detective skills more so this time. Patrick was still charismatic and factual in every scene. Lorraine takes the lead this time around and through her you get to see the more emotional aspect of their investigations and their relationship. Vera does an excellent job conveying the power behind Lorraine's gift and the amount of empathy she feels. Together their chemistry is still very much the core of the film and I loved it. Ruairi O'Connor was excellent and very humble as Arne Cheyenne Johnson. Ruairi delivers the purity and charm of a brave man that gave his body to save another. You see the inner torment in his eyes more than you see on the exterior. Sarah Catherine Hook was great as his forever supportive girlfriend Debbie Glatzel. You feel the genuine love between them and I liked Sarah's commitment to conveying the strength of Debbie. She was by his side no matter what. John Noble was elegant and wise as the former priest Father Kastner. He brings an extra level of gravitas in a very important scene that mirrors the collection the Warrens have catalogued over the years. Eugenie Bondurant was truly eerie as The Occultist. I liked that we get a more human villain and her connection to the Warrens was fun to explore.

The score by franchise composer Joseph Bishara, had that excellent balance of creepy and elegance. When we are with the Warrens, you hear their love and detective themes in their more quiet moments together. The more intense and suspenseful moments are magnified by Joseph's score and keep that dread and demonic energy throughout. The visuals were excellent as we get a chance to see into Lorraine's ability to recreate and experience a terrible moment in time. There was a moment where some gets their soul ripped out of them and it was the scariest moment in the film for me. The biggest problem I had with the film is that yes, they are paranormal investigators, but at times they felt like super heroes. The first half of the film felt like action film with the very predictable scares and set ups. They made be fun, but it took away from the eerie vibe the second half of the film had. Overall I did like the film, but it really says alot when I'm more unsettled by the actual recordings of the opening exorcism that plays in the end credits more so than what was on screen. The film is currently in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!