The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

At this point, you’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard of the Conjuring universe and seen at least a couple of the films. When James Wan’s The Conjuring made its debut in 2013, it turned out to be more than just a reasonably decent haunted house movie. It launched a billion-dollar horror franchise that remains wildly popular to this day.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is the eighth and latest film in the franchise and the second sequel to the original Conjuring horror movie. It’s also one of the additions that star Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in their now-iconic roles as real-life demonologists and paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren. But is this film worthy of your time, or is it proof that maybe the Conjuring universe is finally all played out?

The opening scene takes place in 1981 and introduces the viewer to 8-year-old David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard) and his family. David’s the unwitting victim of a curse that’s left him possessed and in dire need of the exorcism he’s receiving. After a series of Exorcist-esque dramatics, the demon causing all the trouble jumps from David to Arne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor), who is engaged to David’s sister Debbie (Sarah Catherine Hook).

Although Ed has his suspicions about where the demon went after leaving David, no one is truly any the wiser at first. However, Arne is soon plagued by a series of troubling phenomena that suggest possession, including troubled sleep and horrifying waking visions. Things finally come to a head one day at the boarding kennel where Debbie works when Arne loses control of himself. Not long afterward, he’s found walking along the side of the road, soaked in blood, and eventually finds himself facing murder charges.

As with many other films in the Conjuring franchise, this latest installment is based on a true story pulled straight from the Warrens’ real-life case files. In fact, Arne’s murder trial was the first on record to use demonic possession as an official defense. The Warrens spend the film working on getting to the bottom of not only Arne’s case but the reason for David Glatzel’s initial possession, as well.

Fans who loved all or most of the other films in this series are bound to find lots to love about The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, as well. The special effects are incredibly slick, the scares are solid, and the use of period-specific music adds nuance to the overall feel of the film. The close, loving relationship between Ed and Lorraine remains at the center of the story, giving it the familiar depth and heart Conjuring fans are undoubtedly familiar with. Stunning camera work by Michael Burgess and a spooky, droning score by Joseph Bishara round things out beautifully for the tight look and feel that’s the calling card for these films.

To be fair, this film also has some of the flaws that have plagued other installments in the franchise. There are a few cheesy lines sprinkled here and there that don’t add much of value. Also, Arne’s storyline sometimes feels like it gets lost in the shuffle, which is really too bad, as O’Connor plays the character to absolute perfection. But these are minor gripes that won’t get in the way of the viewer’s enjoyment of the film, especially if they dearly love this franchise already. Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It may not be the best, strongest, or scariest addition to this universe, but it’s solidly entertaining and well worth a watch.

Style: Hollywood, New Release, Demons, Supernatural