The conjuring review

I'm not a brave man. I'm afraid of height, broccoli and also an old man in speedo but for some reason i always came back to horror in entertainment media, especially in movie and video game. Its probably because fear as one of the basic human emotional reaction is an interesting thing to look at. How the creator build the fear and the tension in a media like book, movie and video game is a high art that isn't easy to achieve and it is hard to find that in today entertainment media.

Sure, there are still horror stuffs that you can find anywhere but i found that most of that is either jump-scare-fest horror type or its the bloody-bukkake-in-your-face horror type, which is my less favorite type of horror. The best kind of horror is the one that used the mind of the audience, reader, or player to create their own worst nightmare rather than throwing blood and tits constantly to the face of the audience. Luckily, today movie review is an exception, a movie that actually managed to make me sit on the edge of the chair and it makes me leave the theater with a shaking knee. its The Conjuring.

The conjuring is a movie 'based on the true story' of Ed and Lorraine Warrane, a famous paranormal investigator, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. It is directed by James Wan, the man behind paranormal activity, Insidious, and the first Saw. The movie is about the Warren couple who investigating the usual haunted house where a newly moved family is haunted by a paranormal activity. As you guessed, the basic plot is as basic as a haunted house movie can be. Family moves in, the house is haunted, scary shits happen, someone with supernatural knowledge came to rescue the day. If you came for an interesting twist or shocking ending you will be disappointed. But if you came to this movies looking for a scare, great writing, tension and good performance from the actors, then you will spent your money in the right place. The movie did kinda remind me of a classic horror movies like the Exorcist and Poltergeist in a good way. No CG monster, no annoying teenagers that you hope will die soon and the best part is that the movie know how to make a great experience with only a simplistic premise. Seriously, when did the last time you were scared with a clapping hands?

Besides the Hulk supersonic Clap, that is

The movies gimmick is that this movie is a rated R, but not your usual R-rated movie because it doesn't contain any strong language, gore or sex like the usual R-rated movie does. This movie got that, rating just because it is scary. While at first i thought this is just another Holywood gimmick to promote a movie, i am now personally think that it deserved that R rated . The movie will make you sit on your edge even if you know that the scare will be exactly like you constructed in your mind. The movies highlight is how it build it tension where it paces really slow at the beginning that it almost make me wished that Jason Vorhees will come and rip some teenager in two, but then it pace up at the right time to steal back your attention with a superb tension building. The final act of the movies really leaves me breathless and i found my knee shaking when i leave the theater. It is that good.

The performance of the actors is equally strong with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga stealing the show as Ed and Lorraine Warren. I really like the way they played their role as paranormal investigator. They are always going skeptic at first before going to investigate the requested case and it kinda make you believe that they  really knows what they are doing rather than someone who just gibbers paranormal mumbo jumbo for no reasons. The family who lives in the haunted house also gives a great performance, especially Lily Taylor as the mom and her five kids. Yes, great kid actor does exist, peoples. The characters in this movie is unlike the usual "here to be killed" horror character because you will actually care with what will happen with them. The writing in the movie really help the characters to shine in the screen and it even manage to slip some genuine funny comedic relief somehow. Both the writing and the acting is arguably the strongest aspect of the movie accompanied with its great tension building.

The Conjuring is definitely one of the scariest movies in this year but it doesn't meant that it is free form any flaws. One of the biggest problem in this movie didn't actually came from the movie but it came from the trailers that shows too much of the movies surprises. Add it with the generic haunted house movie premise, the movie becomes kinda predictable at times and it might severely ruin the overall experience for some peoples. I also found that the design of the ghost is kinda too simple and it failed to scare me in that aspect. They only used make up and costume with no CG to create the ghost in this movie so the design of the ghost is rather too generic for my taste. Sure, At some point you could argue that it kinda suits the classic horror movie feeling that i talked about before but i just kinda hope that they actually go more creative with the design of the ghost. The only thing that actually scared me in this movie is actually the thing that didn't used make up, that goddamn doll...

Don't make eye contact! It will steal your soul!

But then, all those flaws will fall short compared to all the good things that i told. The movie achieved what it tried to achieve, to scare its audiences and gives them a great horror experience. The tension building, the acting, and the writing all works to create one unforgettable moment both for horror and non-horror fans. James Wan really deserve the credits for making one of the scariest movies this years and reminding me how good it is to be scared when you are watching a scary movie.

Initial El review score

8.0

"GYAAAAA!!" - Me screaming in the theater