Set in 1970s, the story focuses on the family of Roger and Carolyn Perron (Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor). The Perrons, along with their five daughters move into a countryside farmhouse but this old farmhouse has something spooky going on under its rickety floor boards and creaky furniture. First their family dog dies and then immediately Carolyn starts to get blotches all over her body. The whole family gets traumatized by some kind of evil spirit and after few days things go out of hand, until Carolyn seeks help from ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). [break]
The Conjuring is based on real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren and recaps one of their most terrifying cases. The Warrens have been the pioneers of ghost hunting equipments and have practiced demonology with genuine acclaim. When they visit the Perrons’ place, the evil spirit takes them as intruders and starts to conduct even more jeopardy to the family.
The layered screenplay gives sufficient space to human sentiments but in spite of some riveting performances, characterizations still feel sketchy. The film churns out the maximum screams by putting delicate mothers and vulnerable children in danger and Joseph Bishara’s background score, which is reminiscent of classic Hitchcock movies, offers the desired result. There is plenty of gothic elements, including an exorcism finale, stoked into the narrative but beware of Wan’s knack to fool around with horror film clichés, even those familiar under-the-bed and inside-the-closet scenes are scary.
In the dearth of good horror films, The Conjuring revives old school horror flicks and restores the faith back into the genre. It’s a homage that provides plenty of jerks and jolts.
Screening at QFX Cinemas
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