Cinema Styles: The Conjuring a modern horror classic
Film: The Conjuring (2013) Director: James Wan Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Joey King How to Watch: Max Runtime: 112 minutes Rating: R Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Note: This review is part of our legacy series. The Conjuring celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
The Conjuring is the 2013 film from James Wan, and it tells the story of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren as they try to help one particular family. In 1971, the Perron family moved into an old, dilapidated farmhouse in Rhode Island, and strange occurrences started happening with increasingly nightmarish terror. In desperation, Carolyn Perron contacted the Warrens and asked them to examine the house. The Warrens discovered a satanic haunting was targeting the Perron family.
The Conjuring sees the Warrens calling upon all of their skills and spiritual strength to defeat the demonic menace at its source, even as it threatens them as much as the Perrons. This story is based on a true story, as told by the individuals involved.
The Conjuring has an R rating despite containing no sex or nudity, minimal profanity, and mostly bloodless violence. It received this rating from its scare factor alone. It also broke box office records after bringing in $41 million during its opening weekend, and it still has the third highest-grossing opening weekend for an R-rated horror film (behind Paranormal Activity (2011) and Hannibal (2001). The Conjuring made a total of $137 million at the domestic box office. It spawned an extended cinematic universe of eight horror films (and counting), including three Conjuring movies, three Annabelle films, The Nun (2018), and The Curse of La Llorona (2019).
The Conjuring is one of the great horror films of the modern era, and that's mostly thanks to its atmospheric and gradual building of tension. It's an unforgettable and intense family drama, and it brilliantly leaves the supernatural elements open for interpretation. It perfectly captures the era of the 1970's, from the costumes and hair, to the perfect song selections and consistent use of slow-zooms that were prominent in films from that period. James Wan modeled the cinematography and atmosphere after horror films from the 1970's and 1980's. He was particularly influenced by The Exorcist (1973) and Poltergeist (1982), both of which feature the traditional family unit being disturbed by demonic forces, and a steady building of suspense up to a shocking conclusion.
The Conjuring is a visually inventive horror film, with vital contributions from cinematographer John R. Leonetti and editor Kirk Morri. Their work is aided by the nerve-wracking score from composer Joseph Bihara. Interestingly, this movie was shot in chronological order. This isn’t often the case, and movies often have to shoot scenes out of order depending on the production’s access to certain actors or locations. Shooting in order allows the actors to feel the continuity of the previous scenes they’ve shot, and add more realism to the movie overall.
Another layer of authenticity is added by the fact the real people this story was based on were actively involved in the making of this film. The real Perron family visited the set often, and even provided information about their personalities to help the actors portray them more accurately. The real Lorraine Warren and Andrea Perron served as consultants to James Wan and the other screenwriters as they were writing the story. They both attest this movie is an accurate portrayal of what happened to the Perrons during the 10 years they lived in their farmhouse.
The most interesting aspect of any horror film with supernatural elements is the question of whether or not the supernatural events actually occurred or if there’s a logical explanation that can be found in objective reality. Great horror films like The Conjuring leave the story open enough to allow both possibilities/interpretations to be true. For example, one character sees bruises all over her body as she looks in the mirror, and she tries to hide them from the rest of her family. The supernatural reading is a demon is trying to possess her. The rational explanation is she might possibly be experiencing abuse by a family member but is masking the trauma with a supernatural explanation. Another example sees a character witnessing a strange figure standing in the corner of their bedroom. Unfortunately, this isn’t an unusual hallucinatory occurrence for someone experiencing sleep paralysis. Or it could be a demon.
One aspect of movies in general that make them such a powerful art form is they reflect our own experiences back to us, even if the story we’re witnessing is unlike anything we’ve experienced. The Conjuring understands this, and exhibits this idea through frequent use of mirrors and reflections. It also recognizes the power of filmmaking by prominently featuring the camera crew that arrives at the Perrons’ house to document the supernatural occurrences. It shows filmmaking can be more than just art, and it can actively help someone solve a problem.
One of the most unique and horrifying aspects of The Conjuring is its use of sound. While visual scares are common for horror films, and this movie certainly has its fair share of those, the audial experience is often overlooked or overshadowed. That’s not the case with The Conjuring. Some of the biggest jump-scares in the movie are soundbased. This is a film that revels in stillness and silence. It sits there comfortably for long stretches, laying the groundwork for a false sense of security before ripping it away. It even uses the absence of sound as a scare in its own right, subverting expectations and offering silence that’s much more horrific than any sound could ever hope to be.
The Conjuring is certainly a modern horror classic, but what makes it rewatchable is its incredible performances. The characters are well-developed and the actors do a phenomenal job bringing them to life. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play the Warrens, and they both met with Lorraine Warren prior to filming so they could gain insight into their characters. Farmiga is particularly notable as Lorraine Warren, portraying a character that possesses a seemingly infinite amount of empathy, so much so it opens her up to be vulnerable to the demonic forces possessing the people she’s often trying to help.
The undeniable standout of the film is Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron. Taylor is one of the most underrated actors working today, and this performance gives her an opportunity to show her range and skill as an actor. She can go from warm and maternal to terrifying in an instant, and the ending of the movie gives her the opportunity to show how talented she is as an actor. Fans of the television show Six Feet Under knew how great she was, and now a much bigger audience is aware of her talents.
The Conjuring is one of the most memorable and unnerving horror films ever made. James Wan proves himself to be one of the modern masters of the genre, building suspense and dread in subtle ways and tightening the tension gradually until it unleashes in moments of pure terror. This film’s use of long silences, extended tracking shots, and earned surprises contribute to its standing as a modern masterpiece in the horror genre, and one that will stick with the viewer long after the last demon is exorcised.