Hats off first to the film’s marketing team for doing a great job! With just a clap, the second trailer really drew and anticipated people. I’m sure nobody will be playing hide and clap anytime soon. In the online world, there are a lot of users who shared and posted Anabelle’s picture or the film’s poster in Facebook. Not to mention, the good word-of-mouth from the critics. So the real question would be: is The Conjuring as good as the hype or the marketing team is just that good?
I didn’t particularly find it keep-your-light-on-when-you-are-sleeping scary. Maybe it’s because I’m not easily scared as long as I have company but if I was lucky enough to be in an empty cinema, I think it would be another experience. Despite of it, Director James Wan made a good horror tale. Usually when a horror film is said to be inspired by true events, it usually doesn’t live up the hype. This one is an exception. One of the decent I’ve seen in a while. Shocking and thrilling are the right terms. It did get me a couple of times. Set in 1970’s, I like its classic opening titles, Joseph Bishara’s creepy musical score and the use of practical effects which helped set up the classic horror film feel rather than a modern one. It reminded me of The Exorcist and The Poltergeist. In terms of cinematography, I like the use of handheld cameras which perfectly captures the intensity of the scenes. One thing that the film proved is that it doesn’t need to be gory to be terrifying. Perfect build up and sounds are the key – old school style. It was not over-the-top like the usual horrors we see nowadays. It was done with taste. Yes, some shots look familiar to other films but it’s the execution that makes it so differently. The build-up for each terror is effectively slow to glue your eyes to the screen and the eerie sound effects serve to get you shocked in right timing. Gotcha! It’s an immersive experience.
In terms of the story, Wan balanced two storylines – the Warrens and the Perrons. I didn’t feel that one storyline was more focused compared to the other. They both received equal amount of attention. Playing the roles of Ed and Lorraine Warren, both Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga gave impressive performances. They got great chemistry together and the latter plays her role with convincing conviction. For their part of the story, the filmmakers incorporated their peculiar cases as a great side story. They got my interest that after watching the film I looked them up and their cases in the web. We get transported to their world of ghost hunting from their lectures with footage and their room filled with artifacts from each case which is interesting to look upon.
Most noteworthy among their prized possessions is the infamous Annabelle doll which is contained in a locked glass. Make sure to keep your eye out because once she is set loose, I’m sure she’ll try to give you a fright. In the Perrons’ storyline, this is where we get the initial haunting terrors. Lili Taylor pulls off a believable performance as Carolyn Perron. All of the kids were all able to show the right level of fear. What’s nice with all these characters is that we get to care for them thanks to their acting. As these two storylines merges, the build-up for both pays off in the finale. Clap! Clap!
Verdict:
The Conjuring conjures up a classic horror feel with effective scares and eerie sounds. Definitely one of the decent horror films I’ve seen in a while. Recommended for horror fanatics!
Distributed by Warner Bros. Philippines, The Conjuring starts frightening theaters on August 21!
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About the movie reviewer:
Orange Magazine TV‘s newest film critic is a self-confessed movie geek. John Albert Villanueva love movies so much, he watch every movies from the big screen and collects DVDs of classic movies. Read his other review here.
