The Warren’s are back for a third installment of the paranormal success series. This time they’re doing it without James Wan at the helm, or an interesting story for that matter.
When the exorcism of the young David (Julian Hilliard) goes wrong, an evil entity skips bodies and moves to Arne (Ruairi O’Connor), his sister’s boyfriend. Not much later Arne commits a brutal murder claiming a demonic possession made him do it. In order to save him from a possible death penalty, Ed and Lorraine Warren continue to work on his case to try and prove that a deadly curse has been placed on the young man.
It’s been eight years since the first The Conjuring-movie effectively creeped up on us with its classic spook tale, and the formula hasn’t really changed all that much. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play the real life couple who, on a quest against evil, encounter many a creaking floorboard and well timed jump-scare along the way. It’s just that this third time around, something in the recipe just doesn’t work.
It’s undoubtedly well made and visually strong, and an enormous step up for director Michael Chaves, whose previous outing was the sinfully boring ‘The Curse of La Llorona’. But this sequel seems to be lacking an interesting story and that magical, eerie touch that Wan has seemingly mastered over the years. The Conjuring 3 plays around with the most basic of exorcism clichés, to the point of becoming farcical. It still looks classy and it moves swiftly enough to hold your attention, but not once is it able to ramp up any sense of dread or terror.
This third paranormal outing for the Warren’s won’t bore you to death, but it won’t scare you either. Safe to say the paycheque made them do it.
Review – The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Reviewed online, June 4, 2021. Rating: MA15+. Running time: 112 min.
PRODUCTION: A Warner Bros. release of a New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, The Safran Company production. Producers: Peter Safran (p.g.a.), James Wan (p.g.a.). Executive producers: Richard Brener, Michael Clear, Michelle Morrissey, Dave Neustadter, Judson Scott.
CREW: Director: Michael Chaves. Writers: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, James Wan (based on characters created by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes). Cinematography: Michael Burgess. Editing: Peter Gvozdas, Christian Wagner. Music: Joseph Bishara.
CAST: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hilliard, John Noble, Eugenie Bondurant, Shannon Kook, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Keith Arthur Bolden.