The Conjuring (2013)
"Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse."
- IMDB
The Conjuring films are based on the real life Warren couple and their haunted investigations. Of course it's heavily altered with dramatized events and modern effects to give us a classic horror movie. And honestly... every element is effective in making the Conjuring a classic horror film for sure. This movie was good enough to spark a whole franchise of scary movies, and for better or for worse, James Wan and his films have been the face of the horror genre for the last decade.
The story itself is what pulls me in every time. I love spooky folklore in any scenario, it's why I've watched so much Ghost Adventures in my day. The haunt of this Conjuring definitely fits that vibe. Just throw in a demonic possession and mystical exorcism and you got yourself a solid horror flick. I really gotta hand it to the whole cast, though. Their performances really made it scary. With the insanely talented Vera Farmiga at the helm, the cast brought the intensity to the experience perfectly.
With effective jump scars mixed in with other scary moments, the scare factor is definitely high up there. I remember being more scared of the sequel, but as I've said, the overall story is what pulls it together, as well as the environment of a quaint farm house in New England. Many elements make this a great Halloween feature to any spooky marathon and I can't recommend it enough.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆
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