DIRECTED BY: MICHAEL CHAVES STARRING: PATRICK WILSON, VERA FARMIGA, & RUAIRI O'CONNOR RATED R FOR TERROR, VIOLENCE AND SOME DISTURBING IMAGES
LENGTH: 112 MINUTES
It's hard to believe that it's been nearly eight years since James Wan's modern horror classic The Conjuring became a surprise smash hit at the box office and spawned one of the most successful horror franchises in history. While some of the spin-offs of this franchise have failed to live up to the quality of Wan's initial installment, others have served up some strong scares. What may be the most interesting factor of this franchise is how it all ties into the casefiles of real life paranormal investigators Ed & Lorraine Warren. While the late couple have undergone their fair share of scrutiny, their involvement has given the filmmakers a selling-point as labeling several of the installments as 'true stories'. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It marks the first main installment in the franchise that Wan didn't direct, instead Michael Chaves who spearheaded the maligned secret spin-off The Curse of La Llorona takes the reigns of the franchise.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It tackles one of the Warren's most infamous cases, when charming young adult Arne Johnson (Ruairi O'Connor) is involved with a murder, he claims that he was possessed by the devil while committing the crime. That's when Ed & Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga) come in who seek to prove that Arne is telling the truth. He's a good kid after all. All of this leads to what is quite possibly, the Warren's darkest case in their career.
While this threequel had a lot going against it, from the studio's lack of marketing to the absence of Wan as a director, in the end director Chaves still delivers an entertaining horror flick. Some of the creepier sensibilities that Wan brought to the franchise are recreated by Chaves, there's plenty that works and then there's other aspects that don't. First and foremost, this is easily the least scary film of the trilogy, playing off as more of a detective thriller than an actual horror film. The first two films drew from staples of the genre such as Poltergeist and The Exorcist, while this film almost feels like it's pulling more from a courtroom drama. The story is still compelling and the film isn't boring as it keeps audiences on their toes and there are definitely some effective scares along the way.
The heart of this franchise has always been Wilson and Farmiga's portrayal of the Warrens, their one of the main reasons that the best films in this 'horror universe' have typically been the main entries rather than the spin-offs. Both of them share electric chemistry with one another making their romance easy to buy into, it's genuinely sweet and heartfelt. Newcomer O'Connor is another great addition to the franchise with his portrayal as Arne Johnson, a complicated character whose portrayal could have easily fallen flat and even borderline offensive. Yet, O'Connor plays Arne with such sincerity that it becomes increasingly easy for the audience to connect with him.
It is commendable that the Conjuring team decided to a different route for the third entry instead of simply replicating the first two films. While the main villain of the movie isn't as memorable as some of the demonic characters that made this franchise as popular as it is, they also take the role in a different direction. The structure is pretty much the same and the opening scene definitely sets the stage for something terrifying, but the scare factor doesn't quite go to the same level that the opening scene brought. At times Chaves relies a bit too much on cheap fake-out jump scares that more often than not feel more burdensome than effective.
With all the being said The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It will likely please core fans of the franchise, it's entertaining and tells an intriguing tale, but it doesn't quite match the success as the first two entries.
3.5/5 Stars
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is still playing in theaters and is available to stream on HBO Max until July 4th.