The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

One of the most anticipated horror films of the year is over, so how did it turn out? I think it's pretty clear that without top director James Wan, the third installment won't be revolutionary and it was obvious a year ago that there would be a clear drop in quality. On the other hand, even though it's worse than the first two films, it's still the best thing to come out of voices in a haunted house genre and I'd love to hear the arguments of anyone who disagrees! That 40 million budget is way over the top for a horror film, so the technical side is once again awesome and to see such an "expensive" and beautifully made horror film after a long time after cheap shit like Djinn, The Night, Unholy and Saint Maud made me happy. After La Llorona, Michael Chaves redeemed himself a bit, though the scares are quite uninteresting and few – on the other hand, everyone is grumbling about them, why complain now that they are absent? The atmosphere is solid most of the time, the acting is again spot on, the crime plot with its mystery and supernatural overtones is intriguing, there were a few minor plot twists, and the finale in the catacombs has a decent pace. The lackluster music is a bit of a downer, and Wan's string accompaniment and creative camera forays are slightly lacking, too. I was also a bit bothered by the fact that compared to the second film, which had the Crooked Man, there is no distinct villain here, though the hulking guy in the morgue was pretty creepy, but he was only there twice. The third installment of The Conjuring still has its interesting moments (the opening exorcism and the wink at The Exorcist is awesome!), and I take the occult-witch touch as a nice change. A black sabbath, faith, innocence, a lover!! It has its merits and it's definitely above average in the genre even with the times being what they are, so those two star reviews are totally out of line. More ingratitude and disrespect for the genre similar to Army of the Dead. 7.5/10. (05.06.2021)

When sworn in court on the Bible, the esteemed jury should consider that there must be forces that elude it. In the moments when the Warren Commission, established to investigate the assassinations led by Mr. Horns, conducts its detective work, it functions much better than when it's not-so-innovatively frightening runaway drowned victims or doing gymnastics during an exorcism (Friedkin homage included). The parallel finale serves as evidence of the overall incoherence, and Chaves failed a second time to meet the standard of kinetic horror set by Wan. By the way, just like Denethor with his parental duties (some time after he was extinguished under Minas Tirith and taken to the barber)... “End this black sabbath. By the blood of Calvary, I command it!” (11.06.2021)

Nothing against it. I stopped expecting major films with ambitions that would deliver something interesting, original or truly scary from the Conjuring universe, memorable films that could be inducted in the modern hall of fame. And that’s the reason why I quite enjoyed the third entry in the main series. Technically, it’s far more competent than Chaves’s The Curse of La Llorona, it’s not ridiculous and the leading couple remains likeable. The opening exorcism and the scenes with the fat man from the morgue are even excellent, but it’s a pity they don’t use the main villain enough. I could give it three stars, or four, I don’t care. But whatever, it’s four. (10.06.2021)

With its effective subject matter, The Devil Made Me Do It freshens up the franchise, taking it in the right direction. It starts out as an ambitious “whodunit” with mysterious question marks and a search for connections between two events, with a third event gradually coming into play. However, in the final build-up of the story, Chaves doesn’t quite have the directorial skill to handle the interconnection of the settings and their characters, and the ideas slide into genre mediocrity. Scenes that could have been powerful moments for the whole franchise (Ed’s first attack on Lorraine) are told in passing at the expense of focusing on the details in the “secondary storyline" with the young convict. And the epilogue is outright kitsch. (24.09.2021)

If you’re a fan of exorcism horror and consider the Warrens your go-to paranormal experts, then the instalment of The Conjuring is a must-watch. It’s well-made and holds up visually, though the story does drag a bit. I found myself still engaged, even if there were a few moments of mild boredom and not quite as many scares as I was hoping for. (05.12.2021)