The Conjuring

So I've fallen behind a bit, and sadly, that will indeed continue--here's yesterdays and I am watching one tonight, but that one'll be posted tomorrow... wrap your mind around that 'un.

10/25: Tonight's horror film was James Wan's The Conjuring. Say what you want about Wan's brand of horror, but Saw is a damn good horror film (ignoring majority of the sequels) and The Conjuring follows suit. The movie is a throwback and largely homage to The Exorcist and it's style of possession/exorcism movie. Even down to the look of the title Wan goes out of his way to make the film feel classic. Of course The Exorcist has spawned a slew of similar films but the difference here from most of the pack is that The Conjuring is actually good. 

What Wan creates with The Conjuring is a possession film that fully realizes what it takes to be a good possession film. Sure, it has the typical, stereotypical story: family moves into house, shit ensues. But in this case it's done in such a way of homage rather than simply being unoriginal and the fact that it's done well more than gives me license to forgive it. Wan amps up the scares but doesn't lose their soul, something many other possession films seem to forget. Nearly all special effects are practical (or at least they look they are) and I can't even think of a prominent CGI part. This is what made The Exorcist so incredible: everything looked real, and it looked fucking horrifying. Wan does the same and realizes that as an audience reality sucks you in. 

All in all a really great horror film that fixes a lot of what is wrong with modern horror. It's so good, I'll even excuse some of the terrible acting. Well, mostly.

9/10