From the director of Saw and Insidious Chapters 1-2, comes a different kind of horror in the form of The Conjuring and it's bursting with scares.
Bearing premise from the case files of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring is a true account of one family's problem of demonic origins. What sets this flick apart from any other released this year is the mere fact that it doesn't try to reinvent the genre. You get from it what you expect to see but not exactly how you expect it.
Many a times have we seen movies - horror movies in particular - that entice the viewer to question their emotions and subsequent beliefs. Prompting them to ask questions like Are there really demons lurking about? Movies that have done this job quite well are cult classics such as The Blair Witch Project, the Paranormal Activity series and many many more. But in the time and age where we are constantly bombarded with found-footage films and slasher flicks, The Conjuring is a breath of fresh air that sticks to telling a story without losing itself in sophisticated shots and colours (though there is a bit of that here and there, but James Wan makes it work) like Mama.
The Conjuring has a lot on its plate from the very start. You have a pair of paranormal investigators (Ed and Lorraine) who have a history of dealing with such phenomenon (and are presently educators in the field), whereas on the other hand you have a family dabbling with demonic powers beyond their wildest dreams.
James Wan's directorial expertise does not fail to impress. Every shot is gorgeous and brilliantly calibrated to give scares at very non-cliché points. When you see Steadicam shots in a horror movie, you know that the director has something going on in his mind that he just can't wait to throw at you. Much like Stanley Kubrick and this seems to be the case with Wan. He tries to make the most with the already-known conventions of the horror genre without adding too much fluff. As a result you get a film that scares the living sh*t out of you without the outpouring of blood and copious amounts of gore.
The Conjuring deals with an entity that is pure evil, with no room for sympathy. This is in stark contrast to Guillermo Del Toro's film Mama or Sam Raimi's The Possession. James Wan feeds off of your ability to pay attention to what is being said and then showers you with multiple ways to creep you out. This, coupled with incredible performances from everyone involved - kudos to Patrick Wilson as usual - The Conjuring is a rollercoaster ride straight into the occult.
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