The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It Early Review

The Conjuring series has spawned some of the best horror films in recent memory, putting the dynamite chemistry of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga front and center as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The series has also spawned its own series of spinoff films also based on the cases of the Warrens but they ultimately can’t hold a candle to the main franchise. Based on that, a third film in the main franchise was inevitable. However, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It marks the first entry of the franchise without James Wan behind the camera (he wrote the story for this one) and Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes as writers. Now after two films, where can the Warrens go next while keeping the series fresh. Suffice it to say that there is plenty of runway left in that regard with the film taking them in a different direction plot wise though still basing it once again on one of their past cases. However, that direction doesn’t quite stick the landing. Nevertheless, it still has Wilson and Farmiga and the heart they bring as the Warrens leading audiences through what is still a film with scares on the same level as the previous two installments.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It saw Ed (Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Farmiga) called in to assist on a mere possession case of a young boy named David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard), leading to a thrilling and intense opening sequence. However little did they know, that was only the beginning as it led to the first ever time in American history that demonic possession would be used as a defense in a murder case (hence the film’s subtitle). From there, it was up to the Warrens to do what they do best which was investigate using their very unique set of skills to prove the possession of a young man named Arne Johnson (O’Connor) in a court of law. This proved to be easier said than done but they were certainly up to the task, concerned about Johnson and his wellbeing. Despite the landmark case in which the film’s premise is based, more focus on that case would have been nicer to see (though anyone can just Google the eventual outcome). As it the stands, it is merely an excuse for another Warren adventure though that lack of a proper foundation made more an experience that was nowhere near as compelling overall as the earlier Conjuring films.

That being said, fans of the Warrens simply doing their thing will once again still be entertained as The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It saw them do their thing a little differently. Instead of focusing on a haunted house, they took their talents to the outside world against a much different adversary who presented their own set of challenges. With the case arguably an afterthought, maybe the stakes weren’t there but they were still compelling to watch as they uncovered the mystery. Though as those pieces came together, the weaker and less interesting the film as the Warrens were essentially propped up by an underdeveloped villain with even more underdeveloped motivations. Finding themselves in the middle of whatever their endgame was, things admittedly got increasingly ridiculous. Trying to reconcile this by tying it back to the case was awkward at best with an ending that more or less amounts to a copout.

Being a horror film at the end of the day, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It still brought it in terms of scares. Using camerawork, selective editing, and sound design to create an uneasy ambiance full of jump scares and moments of genuine tension throughout that rival that of the previous films but are maybe not quite at the same level. In the end, the best part of the film as mentioned, was the terrific performances and chemistry of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren. It is next to impossible for them to not be compelling to watch. Though the story here may not be as strong as their earlier installments, they once again elevated it by continuing to be the heart of the film and the franchise as a whole. Meanwhile, O’Connor as Johnson brought some charisma in trying to be the face of the stakes, however, he should have had more to work with instead of being more of a plot device than a character.

Overall, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It may be the weakest film of the main series but it still has Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in it which is more than enough.

still courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.