That’s right, with some bad timing on my part, I’m going to be reviewing The Conjuring today…on Thanksgiving.
The Conjuring, based on a true story, is the tale of Ed and Lorraine Warren, two paranormal investigators that come to the aide of a family (living in the middle of nowhere, of course) whose house (super old and gross, of course) is being terrorized by a powerful demonic presence.
The movie was a hit at the box office, breaking the record for the biggest opening for an original R-rated horror film, and was a hit with the critics as well, earning an impressive 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. As soon as it came out, fans and critics alike were labeling it the “scariest movie of the year”.
Having literally just seen it two hours ago, I can honestly say that I didn’t find it to be all that scary. And that’s coming from a girl that screams bloody murder when someone taps her on the shoulder when she has her headphones in. That being said, my experience could have something to do with the setting I watched the movie in. Apparently I was the only one in the entire ASLC movie theater that hadn’t seen it before, because everyone tensed up or started nervously scream-whispering to their friends, “this part is SO scary” every time a scary scene was coming up. Or maybe it was the girl next to me that kept jabbing her elbow into my spleen while she mumbled “no, no, no, no, oh HELL no” to herself, or told me what she would do if she were in that situation (hopefully this girl isn’t your emergency contact if your house becomes haunted because apparently all she would do is run and/or sacrifice you to save herself). But I digress.
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They relied heavily on jump scares and piercing loud noises to “scare” you. The actual story itself has been done a million and one times before, so it didn’t particularly freak me out. Family moves into house, house is haunted, family doesn’t move out even though their lives are literally a living hell, etc, etc. However, I did really enjoy the story behind the haunting. I thought it was all really well thought-out and it kept me interested, despite it being one that’s been told before. The acting was also great, especially from Vera Farmiga. Seriously, you go girl.
Having loved the family’s own story, I couldn’t help but wonder why they chose to create the side-story with the doll Annabelle (also based off a true story). She appeared randomly throughout the movie, but there was no link between her and the family, so I’m not sure why she was added at all. (If you really want to be freaked out, go read the story behind Annabelle.)
Okay, something fell off my sink and into the trashcan a few minutes ago, and now a distant, high-pitched screeching sound just came out of nowhere. I take it back. This movie is scary and I probably won’t be sleeping tonight. Demon, please leave my room.
Before I go contact Ed and Lorraine Warren to see if they’ll check out the situation in my dorm room, I’m going to give The Conjuring 4 out of 5 donuts. Even though I think my expectations were too high in the scare department, I still really enjoyed the story the movie told.
As always, remember to tweet me (@sydschaefer) any comments or suggestions about what I should consider next week. Until next time, stay classy Tallahassee.