Conjuring Up a Good, but Unexpected Time

Gentle whispers of a dark, cold room. The feeling of an invisible hand brushing against your face when you're trying to sleep. The inescapable feeling of something or someone stalking you from the shadows with hungry eyes. Are these just illusions made manifest by unfound fears of the night or does the darkness really conspire against you? And if so, who or what does it conspire with? Such unnerving ambiguity is what conjures the thoughts that one day blossom into full blown nightmares - nightmares that we as a society love to explore and indulge through a plethora of tall tales. But perhaps when you've stepped into the darkness one too many times, the nightmares themselves begin to lose their luster and thus their tales lose their sway over no longer fearful hearts.

The Conjuring franchise is probably THE most popular horror franchise of the modern era. And although it’s spinoff titles like The Nun and Annabelle have come up a little short, the main line films have managed to satiate the supernatural tastebuds of both audiences and critics alike. So then, how does the third installment hold up? Well, I’m happy to say that The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it, stands as a worthy sequel to it’s predecessors. However, before you go charging into the movie theatre or to your tv, there are a few things you should know.

This time out, everyone’s favorite paranormal sleuthing duo is back investigating another case of demonic possession, centered around the infamous Arne John trial a.k.a. The Devil Made Me Do It case. And although the opening tees you up for the tense, heart-poundingly, exorcist adventure you know and love, very quickly it switches gears and throws you into a different experience. Changing up directors this time around, this particular film has a somewhat more cartoonish and fantastical feel, especially compared to the last two entrees, which very artfully rode a fine line of realistic plausibility. As a result, it lacks the scary and suspenseful bite that the first two had, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still some fun to be had here. In fact, there is still a fair amount of suspense, good scares, great acting, and beautiful cinematography, some of which is nothing short of delectable cinema sweetness, even if some sequences feel like a bit much for a Conjuring movie.

To put in succinctly, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is short on screams, but still an entertaining experience, albeit one that may fall bit outside of bounds of what fans know a Conjuring movie to be.

Levi Mock (August 19, 2021)

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