The first Conjuring film, released in the summer of 2013, almost was the act of the horror genre really making a comeback for the first time in the modern era of filmmaking. Obviously, you had some great horror movies before The Conjuring, films like The Descent, the first Paranormal Activity and even Sinister are great examples of great horror and horror filmmaking, but the problem with the horror genre, and even to this day, is that there was a stretch of the same carbon copy and cheap horror movie coming out almost ever month. There’s certainly issues with every genre, but specifically with the horror genre there was so much that needed correction and some tweaking to. Then James Wan’s The Conjuring comes along. An R rated horror movie with no relatively house hold names (at the time) and a director who had a niche kind of audience as what yet to be the director that we now know today in James Wan. The best thing the first Conjuring had was the beautiful and chilling marketing campaign that it had which is how it became the box office juggernaut during that summer. Its sequel, The Conjuring 2, also directed by James Wan, while not as good as the first still can hold a candle up to its predecessor due to how nerve wracking and incredibly articulate it is on its filmmaking and its horror. The first two Conjuring films are both genuinely great and serve as a great revitalization for modern horror movies by catering to mainstream and the more prestigious type of horror fans. The spin offs are what they are, but the two Conjuring movies are the stars of the entire franchise and closing out with one more adventure with the Warrens seemed like a no brainer. However, when it was announced James Wan wasn’t coming back to direct the third installment and director Michael Chaves was brought on board to helm the project, things weren’t adding up because his previous film The Curse of La Llorona was an unmitigated disaster from all cylinders. Why they brought him on board instead of James Wan is beyond our level of comprehension and now with The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It in theaters and on HBO Max, James Wan should have wrapped up it. The Conjuring 3 is by far the weakest of The Conjuring movies. It feels shallow, it’s horror lacks any effect on you, but all of it is saved by a solid openings sequence and he beautiful chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
Set in the early 1980s, The Conjuring 3 puts Ed and Lorraine Warren in one of their most sinister and demonic cases in the great state of Connecticut, which led to a certain trial which is now known as the Trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson. Instead of this being a typical case given to a jury, the murder trail was led to believe, by the Warrens, that a demonic and satanic power was responsible for the murder of Arne Cheyenne Johnson’s land lord, Alan Bono. With Ed and Lorraine Warren serving as aids in defense of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, they must help prove he’s innocent and save his life from this terrible possession.
Instead of comparing this installment to the other Conjuring movies, The Conjuring 3 lost it’s touch as soon as the startling and effective opening sequence wrapped up because the problem with so many horror movies is that it doesn’t rely on great tension, effective atmosphere snd solid build up the scares and The Conjuring 3, unfortunately, falls right in that category. This installment geared way more towards the mainstream, yet somehow forgot to provide, hardly, a single moment or sequence of any true terror. The horror doesn’t feel like it’s there and it solely relied on the jump scar factor, but even those came off as substandard and it’s painful to know that James Wan didn’t direct this movie. While this is a massive improvement from director’s Michael Chaves previous film The Curse of La Llorona, The Conjuring 3 didn’t contribute any fresh material or anything arousing for the series or even the for genre for that matter. Again, you really feel the lack of presence of James Wan and it’s said that he hand picked Michael Chaves for this movie, but maybe he shouldn’t. James Wan directed the first two Insidious movies and when he left the franchise bit the dust, the Saw movies started off strong with the first one and became something entirely different and the same thing should be said about The Conjuring movies.
As disappointing and as big of a step down in quality this movie is, the chemistry and performances, however, from Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are outstanding and it goes without saying that their dynamic has been the best part of all the Conjuring movies. Even these characters are based on actual people, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have created some of the best characters in the history of Hollywood. Their relationship provides all the heart, emotion and any attachment that the story has to offer. The rest of the movie can’t match up to the beautiful connection they share on screen, which is a shame.
The biggest thing The Conjuring 3 needed was James Wan. It’s by far the films biggest weakness and that’s no shame to the talent that Michael Chaves has a director. Granted, this isn’t only his second attempt as a director and hopefully he can learn from his mistakes and become a James Wan. However, this is, yet, another scenario where you can tell James Wan wants to move on to other genres and open his talents to other genres, yet whenever he brings on a director for a world he’s created they never can match the quality to the movies he’s already made. The Conjuring 3 isn’t the worst horror movie ever made, that said it is by far the most horror sequel that comes to mind, solely based on how much good will you had already. The performances really does save this movie from being unwatchable because without Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, there’s really not much there to chew on.
My grade for The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It: D
Zane's take at the Cinema's 