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Before we get into anything else, let me say this, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, is not a scary movie.
Sure the film kicks off with an impressive and creepy exorcism (which immediately goes south). But after that, the movie becomes too dependent on jump scares and this quickly made it predictable.
But while Conjuring 3 fails at horror, it most definitely succeeds at being an enjoyable paranormal crime thriller.
Let me explain.
Based on a true story, The Conjuring 3 sees Arne Johnson rescue his girlfriend’s brother, David Glatzel, by inviting the demon tormenting the boy into himself. However, when the demon drives him to kill his landlord, Arne is charged with a murder he didn’t commit. And so it’s left to Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, to prove that Arne was possessed when he committed the murder.
One thing I was really looking forward to was seeing how the demonic possession defense would play out in court. Given the choice, I would have preferred the movie to focus more on Arne’s court case, and show the uphill battle he and his lawyers must have faced trying to prove his innocence.
But considering the franchise’s history, I guess zeroing in on the paranormal aspect of the case was the right choice.
In many ways, Conjuring 3 felt like a good episode of True Detectives, with The Warrens starring as the special detectives. Determined to prove Arne’s innocence, the couple dive into his case and try to uncover what really happened that day. And thanks to Lorraine’s gifts, their investigation soon brings them face to face with the movie’s antagonist.
The nameless occultist marks the first time the Warrens would face a living adversary in The Conjuring franchise. And though she wasn’t scary, she was a very effective villain who used her skills in demonology to terrorize both Arne and The Warrens.
Her origin story was another interesting aspect of her character, as it showed the dangers of investigating the occult world.
Exposed to demonology through her father’s work for the church, the antagonist develops a quiet fascination for the craft. And this eventually leads her down the dark path. Though short, this story draws a contrast to the Warrens, who’ve managed to investigate this dark world, without falling over. And from an angle, one can see how this could have easily happened to either of them or their daughter Judy.
Having uncovered her plot, the Conjuring 3 predictably ends with the warrens stopping the antagonist from completing the ritual. And with her pact with the devil broken, he comes to claim his compensation.
Verdict
The Conjuring 3
Movie title: The Conjuring 3
Review
Despite being the weakest of the three main Conjuring films, Conjuring 3 was still an enjoyable and well-made thriller. As always, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson were amazing as Ed and Lorraine Warren. And I really enjoyed the movie’s mix of horror and investigative crime drama.
However, I hope future Conjuring movies scale back the jump scares and return to the atmospheric horror of the first movie. Fingers crossed for Conjuring 4.
P.S if you’re looking for more to watch this month, please feel free to check out our June 2021 Tv and Movie Guide.
Overall
3.6User Review
( votes)Pros
- Excellent Acting
- Interesting Characters
- Nice Combination of Movie Genres
Cons
- Excessive Jumpscares
- Predictable Ending
