'The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It' Review
R: Terror, violence, and some disturbing images
Runtime: 1 Hr and 52 Minutes
Production Companies: New Line Cinema, The Safran Company, Atomic Monster Productions
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Michael Chaves
Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ruairi O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hilliard
Release Date: June 4, 2021
Theatrical & HBO MAX
The Devil Made Me Do It reveals a chilling story of terror, murder, and unknown evil that shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. One of the most sensational cases from their files, it starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they'd ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren are truly the heart and soul of The Conjuring franchise. No matter what Conjuring entry they appear in as the iconic paranormal investigators, the two put their all into these movies and carry them with their intimate and engaging chemistry. Their chemistry is so strong and they play off each other so beautifully that it makes you hate being single. I want a forever kind of love like the Warrens had. I don’t care if I have to fight the paranormal; as long as I got my boo thing with me, we can defeat whatever demonic entities the devil sends at us. Their foundation of love is still present in this film and it works to great effect throughout. Even though they don’t have the great James Wan to direct them and are under The Curse of La Llorona director Michael Chaves, they are still absolutely fantastic.
Since this is one of Warner Bros’ most financially profitable franchises, the Conjuring films have become visually flashier with each entry, emphasizing the “studio” in “studio horror”. This most recent entry clearly had more money put into it, making it more of an immersive visual spectacle, especially when it displays Lorraine’s supernatural ability to channel spirits. While it does lessen the impact of the scares and makes it feel like less of a horror movie, I enjoy some of the editing choices that smash and cut the background into a spooky location as characters react in the present to make it look like they’re being transported to a demonic location. That’s the only cool thing I can compliment Michael Chaves’s direction on.
It’s been eight years since James Wan’s The Conjuring was released. Something that started off as a small-budget horror with charm, great scares using practical effects, and solid direction panned out to become a massive film series. However, we’re at a major moment of fatigue where the series has lacked a true identity for a while now. Yeah, sure, the charm has been retained due to the chemistry between Farmiga and Wilson but now we’re in such a bloated territory with these movies that they don't follow through on their genre.
The film takes a noir approach where the Warrens must uncover the root of the evil supernatural spirit that possessed Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who was convicted of manslaughter in 1981. This is based on true events where a trial of the same name marked the first time that demonic possession was listed as a defense in the court of law. The Devil Made Me Do It had the potential to take a bold direction considering that this tale has the Warrens go up against the court of law to prove the existence of the paranormal, but it doesn’t follow through on its premise. Instead, it follows the regular, overly familiar Conjuring procedural where the Warrens have to solve the mystery of the demon who possessed Arne, fight it off together, look like the cutest couple while doing so, and then bring whatever souvenir they can find back to their basement. It’s like watching a Scooby-Doo episode where you know what’s going to happen, but you choose to stick around for the ride. That being said, the ride is not very thrilling or terrifying.
The absence of James Wan is felt heavily, for his technique of building tension is nonexistent in this film. Chaves’ scares are more in-your-face than subtle where they rely too much on disturbing imagery rather than making the audience feel tense. Not to quote Whiplash but all the scares are either rushed or dragged. I know there’s more to horror than well-executed jump scares but that’s the only thing this film relies on. It takes place in backwoods areas, so as far as locations go it’s vastly different from the predecessors, but Chaves doesn’t do much to integrate the settings into the scary elements.
Much of the procedural is unnecessarily long-winded and dull in execution. Due to the lack of well-executed scares and the bland side characters (who lack dimension despite being based on real people), I was completely bored through most of this film and I was fighting to stay awake during my screening. A part of me thought it was my exhaustion, but no… the film was just that poorly executed. Despite being carried by the leads and their natural charm, Conjuring 3 plays like a pale imitation of its former glory. This franchise was praised for its use of practical effects and now we’re in bloated territory where CGI is clearly overused and the third act ditches the scares to become a superhero movie climax. At the end of the day, this didn’t feel like a Conjuring movie — or at least not one that fans of the series can enjoy nor one that horror fans can defend. There’s nothing else to say apart from how disappointing it is to see a movie that spooked my dad and sister turn into a series that couldn’t commit to its genre and that put my ass to sleep. They turned this horror series into a superhero-type spectacle and that's a crime that not even the devil could commit. I love Ed and Lorraine but I think it’s time to let this Conjuring come to a definitive conclusion.
