Write a commentSummer of 2013 was The Summer of Weddings. I was best man for my friend George's wedding towards the beginning of July and my friend Allen's around Labor Day the same year.
Sandwiched between these two events was my cousin Matt's wedding. My job, at the time, was awful and was incredibly fastidious in what time I could take off and when. Didn't matter that my cousin was getting married. I had to be at work on the day of the wedding in order to sell tools or some nonsense.
In order to make this up to Matt, I made a point to attend the party he was throwing the evening before the wedding. It was a Friday. It was one of those humid nights where you feel like you're drinking the air. The type of night where you're begging for a thunderstorm and hours of torrential downpour.
The party ended just as the storm rolled in. Lightning shocked the sky long enough to give brief glimpses of things hidden in the darkness. A stiff breeze went through the trees at the edge of the yard, cooling everything off. For a couple of hours, it felt like fall in the middle of July.
A perfect night to see "The Conjuring".
My sister and my good friend Greg went with me. The three of us, I think it's safe to say, are cowards. Understand, I don't mean that to be insulting. I mean it factually. Our seeing this film during a rainstorm at night in a theater seemed almost masochistic.
At this point, director James Wan was best known for his involvement in the "Saw" and "Insidious" franchises. The first "Saw" film, which he directed, was innovative in a sense but felt more like a pale fascimile of David Fincher's "Seven". "Insidious" was terrifying, but felt very similar to "Poltergeist".
Many of my issues with the original "Saw" had to do with directorial and editorial choices. Much of the fast cutting, music and swirling camera moves felt motivated by a young filmmaker stretching his legs than anything that would be directly beneficial to the film itself.
"Insidious" saw Wan as much more restrained. This was the first time I had noticed Wan taking his time with his scare scenes, stretching them out to their very limit. The camerawork had an elegance to it. It made me excited for his progress as a filmmaker.
Then comes "The Conjuring". From the opening sequence to the very end, the film knows exactly what it is and not a single scene is wasted. Ed and Lorraine Warren (portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are paranormal investigators enlisted to assist the Perron family. The family has been experiences multiple strange events after having just moved into a new house in Rhode Island.
It's a story we've heard a thousand times. As a matter of fact, almost all those cheesy cable TV paranormal shows have the same plot. Family moves into a new house, spooky things happen, kooky investigators come in, clean the house of evil and all is well with the world. It's familiar and, dare I say, rather comforting. Understand, though. In this case, "comforting" doesn't mean boring.
The screenplay, by Chad and Carey W. Hayes, makes the wise decision to get us invested in the characters. The filmmakers realize that, without compelling and likeable characters, the scares won't have the intended impact. If you're watching a movie where you don't care about the characters, your investment in their well-being plummets. There's a reason why, while watching almost any "Friday the 13th" movie, you root for Jason Voorhees. Camp Counselor #6 doesn't have nearly enough personality for you to do anything but want them dead.
"The Conjuring" allows time for us to get to know Ed, Lorraine and the haunted family. While the family is far too large for the audience to invest in each and every one of them, most of them are given a few scenes for us to get to know them. They do just enough without seeming forced or seeming like some of the characters are getting short shrift.
As far as the scares go, wow. I distinctly remember watching this in the theater. Myself, my sister and my friend Greg were all cringing and turning away from the screen. The audience was doing the same. What's better is we were all having fun. It was not a mean-spirited film, not in the least. It's a thrilling feat by a talented filmmaker. Each of the scares is timed to perfection. There are misdirects and some jump scares, but they don't feel cheap. When they happen, you laugh because Wan tricked you and you went along with it, you idiot. Like the best pranks, you're left exhilarated, not angry.
I don't think I would have ever believed "The Conjuring" would spawn a universe as it has in the over decade since its release. Some of the other entries are good, some bad. None of them, however, will live up to that humid, stormy night in mid-July when I watched the first through my fingers.
The Conjuring (2013)
Directed by James Wan
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Joey King, Mackenzie Foy, Joseph Bishara
Runtime: 112 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for sequences of disturbing violence and terror.
Rating (out of ****): ****
"The Conjuring" can be found on HBO Max with a subscription and on all major streaming platforms to rent or purchase.
