The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2
The films based on Ed and Lorraine Warren are entertaining films that, I imagine, are more inspired by true stories than based on true stories. There has been much debate, over the years, about the Warrens themselves, but that is of little import here. I'm more interested in the films and the entertainment they provide to the watcher. I considered looking at the Annebelle films here also, but I decided they should be looked at separately from the main Conjuring timeline. Now I want to highlight the very obvious issue of the Warrens themselves. Many don't believe in their stories of the supernatural, their experiences, and whilst skeptical, I don't believe they are the con artists some have suggested over the years. That being said, the films are very different from what must have occurred in reality and, I'd imagine, much artistic interpretation has been brought into play by James Wan.
The first film follows the events surrounding the Perron family. Having just moved into their new home, moving away from all they have known, they settle in with strange things beginning to happen in the house. It isn't long before such things escalate, and an element of fear and real concern grip the family. We are introduced to the Warrens at the very start of the film, as they speak to a trio in an apartment, the women talking about the doll they found and the spirit that now inhabits it. This doll is, of course, the aforementioned Annabelle. The story of the events plays out, and we don't get a good look at the Warrens themselves until it plays out. The casting is on point, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson have such great chemistry on screen. For me, the casting is what makes the film work so well. You invest in them in their relationship, as it feels so real. Ed comes across as a strong, loving, man, that believes in what he investigates and his wife's ability to see that which others cannot. Lorraine is an intense believer, she sees into a world that lives alongside our own, and that, sometimes, comes with a cost, one she has paid already in events before the film. They make a good couple, and you can feel Ed's reluctance to put Lorraine in any situation that may lead to her being in any kind of danger. The film continues with the Perron's being tormented by some unseen entity, something that kills their dog, threatens the children, and seemingly stalks Carolyn, as she spends much of her time alone in the house. Roger is a long-distance lorry driver and, largely, is away from the house as some of these events play out. Finally, desperation begins to take hold, and the Perrons begin to look for help.
Ed is reluctant to help at first, but Lorraine insists, taking into account Carolyn's concern as a mother, and they then join her at the house. The entire family awaits their arrival, the children all gathered together. They begin to relay the events and other little things that now plague them in the house. We, as the audience, are shown what Lorraine sees, the things that haunt the house, and those that dwell within. The film does a good job of building background tension. An aura of menace builds up around the house as they show the Warrens around. The house is more than just the background to these events now, it is an element of the haunting itself. The Warrens begin their investigation, looking into the history of the house and the lands around it. As expected, they discover dark things, a curse on the land, and many deaths on the property. The dark entity within the house works on Carolyn quickly, and it isn't long before we build on the terror, and the loving mother is turned against that which she loves the most, her children. We are at the crux of the movie now, the Warren's threatened by the spirit of Bathsheba, as she visits their daughter, with Annabelle in tow. As this occurs, Carolyn has returned to the house with two of her children, ready to kill them, under the influence of the alleged spirit, of the witch, Bathsheba. The film moves to an exorcism, something Ed never did, as they struggle to save Carolyn from Bathsheba's fell influence. This part of the film is the most unbelievable, but one of the best shot, and carries the most tension of the whole movie. It works because it is what we, as audiences, now expect to see in such films, and, as such, it is the peak of the haunting and the moment where Carolyn is either saved or lost. Of course, being such a film, Carolyn is saved, and the family is freed of the haunting. This traditional ending is not unexpected though, sometimes, something a little darker can work better. All in all, The Conjuring is a good horror film, it has the right amount of tension layered throughout, and it has believable characters that you can invest in. I'd give it a solid 4 out of 5 and recommend it to most horror fans.
The Conjuring 2 is set years later. It opens up with a scene relating to the Amityville Haunting, a case the Warrens were reportedly involved in. We follow Lorraine as she walks through the house, walking as Rodney Defeo did as he shot his sleeping family. In this vision, Lorraine snaps free from Defeo's path. She finds herself watched by the spirit of a child, and she gives chase. Lorraine is led to the basement, and there she is shown something that terrifies her. Now we move to the Hodgson family, those that will suffer, under the haunting, of a fell spirit. We open up with Janet in school with her friend, and then we meet the rest of the young children of the family as they leave school for the day. This is a film that sets itself entirely around the alledged haunting in the house in Enfield, a well-known account that has spawned more than one movie from the case. How much the Warrens were involved is up for debate, but the film here is taken purely as entertainment, and we watch as they become more intertwined with the events surrounding the Hodgson family. In this film, we have a couple that has pulled back from actual investigations, Lorraine has become wary of becoming too involved, and they are dealing with how they are seen, and portrayed by the media. There is a deep fear that has grasped hold of Lorraine, a fear that she has, strangely, not shared with Ed. The haunting begins slowly, as is often the case, but soon things begin to take a darker tone. It is intermated that the haunting is just an elaborate hoax, though we see, as the audience, that there is more to it than that. It is worth noting that this all starts after Janet plays with an ouija board, suggesting that she has opened a doorway to something to come into their home. Again, the film works best around the Warrens, Patrick Wilson, and Vera Farmiga has great chemistry on screen. If anything, it works better this time around, you can feel Lorraine's terror at the thought of anything happening to Ed. Ed knows something is wrong but does not push the issue, trusting in Lorraine to divulge all when the time is right. This film also feels darker, than the previous entry, something about the way the house interior is shot and that the house, itself, is far more compact than the large house in the first film, adds a claustrophobic feel that the first lacked. As a note, there a more people directly involved with the haunting, more who witnessed the events in person, saw what was happening to the family, than in the first movie. This is a reflection of how big the case became in Britain, how the media swarmed around them for a time.
The use of the 'Nun' is done well. She comes across as such a menacing figure, the whole look is offputting, and the character oozes foul intent with each interaction. I enjoyed how she is used as a background player, an entity that threatens Ed, and yet, there is always more to it than what is first shown. I was not surprised that the 'Nun' became the face of the movie. The interaction between it and Lorraine plays out deeper into the film and is worth taking note of.
The Warrens are brought in after the media coverage grows, brought in by the church to do an initial observation. At this point Lorraine divulges all, informing Ed of the threat to his life. Ed doesn't share her fear, confident that she is meant to save his life from this demonic threat. Together they travel to England and begin their investigation. Things continue to play out around the family, Janet subject to terror, as this entity batters against her meager defenses and seeks to isolate her. The Warrens move through their investigation, and things play out, but always with enough room for doubt, for the possibility that Janet is faking everything. And that is where it goes, the entity manipulating the situation in such a manner that it looks as though she is faking the haunting. This is where Ed works out that their previous tapes of the encounters show evidence of what is really happening, two broken messages that make no sense until played together. This is where the film builds to its climax, the inevitable confrontation between the Warrens and this entity behind the haunting. Of course, tension is built as Ed and Lorraine are separated, and it looks as though her previous vision may come to pass. Again, it is the relationship of the couple that carries this part of the film, Ed, is determined to save Janet, and Lorraine is terrified of losing Ed to this demonic threat. At this point, we learn that Lorraine has the secret to facing and defeating this entity. She rushes into the house, determined to save Ed and Janet from the demonic Nun. Again we are met with a happy ending, not much in doubt given the source material, but it plays out with enough conviction that it doesn't feel trite or without threat.
I enjoyed both of these films, James Wan did a great job, and they are worth watching for any fan of horror or just movie fans in general. I'd give this one a slightly higher rating than the first, 4.5 out of 5. For me, this one just worked better. So if you, somehow, haven't seen these films I'd recommend giving them a look. Just remember they are more, inspired by than based on a true story.
