The Conjuring Review by Heath Chase

Throughout my years, people often told me that I was easy to scare, but as I grew older, so did the horror film genre. Through that time I was able to see that these horror films that used to horrify my innocent little self, weren’t all that scary anymore and that was upsetting for me because—well, I really just love being scared. As I watched the trailer for “The Conjuring” I knew that something was going to scare me in the near future, especially when I saw “Directed by James Wann” at the end of it.  This was simply because James Wann directed the last film to scare me so badly that I could not sleep comfortably for the next week, this film was known as “Insidious,” and was also a film I acclaimed as the best horror film I’d ever seen…until now.

“The Conjuring” brings us back to 1971 where the Perron family is moving into their new home. We are quickly introduced to each member of this large group and are shown that they are a rather warm bunch and create good vibes. But when doors start to slam and figures start to speak to the youngest child, the Perrons start to realize that they are not alone in their new home. Desperately trying to find closure to the situation after these forces begin to arise, Carolyn Perron (Lilli Taylor) and her husband Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) seek out two demonologists named Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) to put an end to their nightly terrors. What ensues is a horrifying ride that you cannot look away from and at one point about mid-way through the film, I found myself so frightened by one scene that I scrunched into the theater chair so far that I was barely visible and didn’t reappear until the credits started rolling. 

This movie does what a lot of others have done before, but it does it in a way that is original. Everything is tweaked to keep things feeling fresh and the goose bumps will not leave your body until the film is over. The acting was exceptional, the writing was real and the execution was near perfect. See this movie, and have fun trying to sleep.

Oh, and you may have heard by now that this movie is based on a true story and for some that is just a cheap gimmick to help it sell. But on closer inspection, I have found this to be a true statement. Just watch some testaments from the Perron family and Ed and Lorraine Warren on YouTube if you don’t believe me….