‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ Review—Formulaic Scares

As amazing as horror movies are, there comes a time when we get tired of the endless flickering lights, objects moving by themselves, and bumps in the night. This film offers a prime example of that fatigue.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is the eighth installment in The Conjuring Universe, one of the most successful horror franchises of the 2010s. James Wan did not direct this film, and instead, Michael Chaves helms this horror sequel.

This film is based on the real-life trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor), a young man who stabs and murders his landlord. He seeks to be proven innocent under the influence of demonic possession, as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga) investigate the murder.

The Conjuring Universe had a strong start; the first two films in the trilogy are excellent, but as the series has added more new installments, the franchise became weaker and weaker. This movie follows that trend despite being an overall enjoyable horror flick.

Our movie begins with a strong start, as Ed and Lorraine perform an exorcism on an 8-year-old boy. The effects and the direction in this opening sequence are quite effective, and it’s one of the better horror scenes of the franchise, setting up the rest of the movie’s premise very well.

However, Wan didn’t return to direct this film, and it shows. Chaves had previously directed The Curse of La Llorona, one of the weaker Conjuring spin-offs. While his work on this film is superior to that movie, this film is sorely lacking Wan’s assured direction, resulting in another trilogy that falls to the third movie curse.

Perhaps the best thing this movie has going for it is the best thing about the first two films: Ed and Lorraine Warren. Wilson and Farmiga have such believable chemistry as a married couple investigating the supernatural, and they fully dedicate themselves to these characters.

The Warrens are front and center in this movie, as they are not simply investigating another haunted house in this threequel. They are the main characters, and the difference in the premise and how the Warrens are in nearly every scene makes the film stand out above the others.

Chaves directs a few moments of well-written mystery and tension, but for the most part, the film is ridden with jump scares. The second act doesn’t have much horror to offer besides cutting or panning to a scary demon face, accompanied by a loud scream. It doesn’t work too well because the antagonist in this film isn’t as scary as the other Conjuring villains.

At times, it can feel like the movie is pulling out every cliché in the book, with recycled ideas of lights turning on and off and yet another sequence with loud, dramatic thunder and lightning. It’s not a poorly directed horror film, and it’s far better than other Conjuring films such as The Nun and The Curse of La Llorona, but it doesn’t reach its full potential.

While this is easily the weakest film in the trilogy, it offers enough fun moments to keep you watching. The final act is powerful, and it offers a few effective sequences. The movie also delves into how the Warrens met, and where the film goes with this idea is quite beautiful.

Overall, the movie’s formulaic scares lead to a mid-tier horror result. It doesn’t reach the shocking heights of A Quiet Place Part II, but it isn’t quite as bad as, say, this year’s The Unholy. If you’re a fan of the universe, you will likely find some fun in this supernatural horror show.

Grade: ★★★☆☆ [6/10, C+]

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is now playing in theaters & HBO Max.

Rating: R for terror, violence, and some disturbing images.