The Conjuring (2013) Dir: James Wan

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James Wan's hugely successful 2013 horror film is based on the many controversial cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren, and is arguably the most famous horror film of the 21st century. It also marks the beginning of the popular 'Annabelle' saga. It had been a few years since I'd watched this first film, but I can remember it being more than a little bit freaky, and I was hoping to feel the same way once again.

This is one of those horror films that used that very particular filter that everyone recognises; the sepia effect that drains thr colour from the film. There was a significant period in which this was used for seemingly every horror film, with this one being one of the most notable examples. I can't say it ever appealed to me, but I understand the purpose.

There was a lot of interesting camerawork, particularly with the use of slow but purposeful zooms, which I found to be very effective. The film also utilised handheld shots to give the effect of voyeurism; a classic horror technique, which allows the audience to see the subject of the scene through the eyes of the perpetrator. Wan also played around with lighting to create some eerie and spooky environments, especially the cellar.

There were a couple of pretty good jump-scares, but, equally, some rather lazy ones too, which definitely were not as effective. Furthermore, I found some of the more explicit horror sequences to be a little bit overdramatic, and verging on slightly goofy. It's safe to say that this was definitely not as scary as I remembered it being. The climactic moments of the film used to freak me out a fair bit, but they barely touched me at all this time.

The narrative was functional enough, albeit rather predictable. It relied on several spooky set pieces to elicit much of the film's tension and scariness, but I wasn't totally engaged by some of the surrounding storylines and subplots. The only characters with any real depth were the infamous pair of paranormal investigators, all the other characters felt a little surface level, especially those outside of the haunted family.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga formed a wonderful couple together. They had instant chemistry, which has been the root of much of the franchise's popularity over the last decade. I am particularly fond of Farmiga's portrayal in this film. She is extremely endearing, but was also able to convey a lot the shock and fear required to build suspense. Wilson had a strong showing in his own right, and proved a very stable point for much of the film's events to circulate around.

In regards to the actors portraying the family, the two parents, played by Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston did a fairly good job, especially in the first half of the film, to show the building discomfort and paranoia surrounding the unusual happenings in the house. Meanwhile, the children, played by the likes of Mackenzie Foy, Hayley McFarland, Stanley Caswell, and a very young Joey King, all did thoroughly good jobs of feeling like believable and terrified children, especially King.

Overall, I can certainly see why this film was so intensely popular when it emerged in the horrorscape. It has several classic horror scenes that, while perhaps not as scary to hardened horror viewers, can be very impactful on audiences, especially during a first time viewing. It is perhaps a little overrated, as most hugely popular pieces of media tend to be, but that does not take away from all the things that the film does well.