Great a movie, with good buildup, until the climax. This is one of many movies which fail in the exorcism scene. Sad for a movie with up until then more than average score and decent story line.
Played on a big screen and with a decent surround setup the first 80 minutes make for a good evening, only to be let down by what would have been an awesome movie otherwise. A pity.
Best modern horror movie by far!
I'm currently watching the entire Annabelle/Conjuring franchise and so far, this has been the absolute best of the lot. Keep in mind this is not a "horror" movie in the sense of a lot of killing and gore, but it's definitely creepy and I loved it for that reason. As a standalone, The Conjuring does an excellent job in and of itself, without the need for any of the other movies. The acting was well-done, the soundtrack was pensive and foreboding enough (and didn't drown out everything else), but there were still plenty of moments that left you scratching your head wondering why it took them so long to figure out something was major whacked with that whole place. Who in the cat hair moves his entire family into a new house without (1) ensuring that the furnace works properly and (2) going through the entire place and its history...so as not to discover some weird buried cellar full of someone else's trash? Anyways, it was still a decent movie; undoubtedly the story was considerably embellished for Hollywood's glamorization of demonic possession, but if you can watch it as a good "creepy" movie and appreciate the fact that it was based on actual events...I would definitely recommend this one.
UPDATE 09/13/2023 - This one currently ranks as the #3 spot on the previously-mentioned list of The 20 Best Horror Movies Ever Made, According to Redditt and I would say it definitely earns its spot there, if not slightly higher. (Not much higher it can go, I realize, but still…) Again, this is not one of the "blood-and-gore" movies that some "horror" fans might be partial to but it definitely has a spot on this list as - especially being based on actual events - it certainly has some horrific moments. Highly recommended.
An excellent film with an almost grueling sense of dread and a few appropriately placed jump scares. "The Conjuring" is so successful because it builds suspense and holds it there, keeping you on the edge of your seat. It makes you cover your eyes, but not because of the gore (there's almost none), but because you care about the fate of the characters.
This film packs a wallop, combining demonic possession, witchcraft, and a haunted house story. It also uses the "based on a true story" claim, which always adds to the creepiness factor.
James Wan's direction is skillful. The best sequences are the smallest ones. The two that come to mind are when one of the children sees something behind a bedroom door. She wakes her sister who is sleeping in a bed across the room. The sister openly stares at the same door and sees nothing. Wan lets us stare at that very same door, allowing us the same opportunity to see what is lurking there. It's a great example of the suspense that "The Conjuring" brings that other recent movies haven't.
An example of a well executed jump scare occurs during the game of hide and seek that the mother plays with the youngest daughter. The clapping combined with silence and the maze of hallways make it a perfect moment.
I watched this with my 18-year old. This is the kid that said that the "Evil Dead" remake wasn't scary. After we watched "The Conjuring" he said it was the scariest movie he'd ever seen. I asked him how that could be given all hype I'd seen about how the new "Evil Dead" was so disturbing. He replied that the "Evil Dead" was gory and shocking but not scary at all, while "The Conjuring" was frightening even with zero gore. This is exactly why "Horror" movies have lost there way and why the term "torture porn" is so appropriate.
An instant gem among the classic horror titles.
"The Conjuring" is one of my favourite horror movies, mainly because of its connection to alleged true events, which both fascinate and terrify me. The incredible cast, particularly the children, adds to the film's authenticity. Vera Farmiga's performance is astounding, and she brings a unique depth to her role. It's a genuinely spine-chilling and well-crafted horror film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. :ghost::movie_camera::moon:
I don't get why this movie is considered good, I was bored the most time.
Overhyped, but still a decent story. Probably won't watch it again.
A somewhat bland take on the "true story" genre of scary movies, this is a mish mash of better horror films, with very little that is new. The film certainly tries to evoke a sense of realism at first, but, despite a game cast, there is very little here that actually scares with the director trying to build moments of tension slowly but ultimately relying on loud jump moments to scare rather than building any sense of dread. There are some moderately effective moments, although even the creepy moments are more reminders of similar elements in other films (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister, The Orphanage, The Exorcist and The Exorcism of Emily Rose amongst others). The film picks up upon the arrival of the investigators at the house, but with a subplot involving a doll that doesn't really seem to go anywhere, a final denouement that bores rather than shocks due to it's predictability and the result is a film that has very little to recommend it.
All this hype for nothing. The story offers nothing new and the tension didn't really build well. I'm glad that this is the last we'll see of Wan in the genre... Not that it is a particularly bad movie it's just nothing great.
The Conjuring (2013) 7.2/10 (Good)
Filmed expertly; atmospheric; tense, The Conjuring is a terrifying film that delivers on almost every possible horror film expectation. The film's suspenseful atmosphere and expert direction by James Wan make for a consistently tense viewing experience. Although the film's dialogue and story come across as rather average, the cast's contributions along with Wan's direction help elevate the film far above average. While the second half is less interesting and more predictable than the first, and the film could have benefited from a stronger conclusion, I still enjoyed it and plan to check out more of Wan's work in the future.
The first of anything tends to be richer because it is new and unexpected. The Conjuring while not great, is so far the best of the lot for it's novelty at the time.
girl... imagine the cost of family therapy to get over that
3 Thoughts After Re-Watching ‘The Conjuring’:
Reminds me a bit of a modern-day Poltergeist.
A lot of the usual horror tropes are used here, so nothing is completely fresh, but it’s just so well done. Great mood, solid story, and some genuinely-spooky moments.
This franchise wouldn’t be what it is without Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. I heard someone describe these movies as religious superhero films. They’re clearly much more than that, but our two leads are certainly pretty damn powerful.
One of the scariest movies ever made. Does so with minimal violence and profanity, but heaps and heaps of spooky creepiness. Prepare for a scare and here it comes!
[5.8/10] The Conjuring is a series of good scares in search of a good movie. If you’re after empty calories that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, then you’re in for a good time, but if you’re interested in things like character, or dialogue, or anything beyond a good spook, you’ll mostly be hunting for scraps.
They’re good scares though! They almost hold the movie up. Whether it’s characters being pulled across the screen as though moved by some invisible force, or blurry figures in the distance moving unnervingly but never able to be fully discerned, or the images of pale corpses hanging over one’s shoulder as perceived from beyond the grave, the film knows how to deliver a good frightening sequence.
The problem is there’s next to no one worth caring about in any of those sequences. At best, all of the characters are archetypes, with only the faintest hint of shading to give them a little personality. The main characters, such as they are, are Ed and Lorraine Warren, a pair of “demonologists” who take various “cases” of hauntings and try to solve them. There’s not much to them beyond a generic “the last time we tried this, you ended up bad shape” emotional subplot that’s handled as clumsily and obviously as a ghost knocking around in the basement.
Then there’s the Perron family, a mom, dad, and five daughters who recently moved into a haunted house when things start going creepily wrong. Roger Perron is a standard father character, roaming around as flat as can be, and Carolyn Perron is just as generic of a mom, with no discernible characteristics beyond the fact that she loves her children (which is, apparently, something so novel that the film takes great pains to tell the audience about it in no uncertain terms, because we couldn’t understand the concept of a parent loving their child without the movie holding our hand throughout).
Those children she love so much are five indistinguishable, undifferentiated daughters. The oldest one is generically sullen and sarcastic, but otherwise they’re just props for The Conjuring to place in various scary situations and have them scream or gasp or call out in terror. They’re flanked by a barely there cop, an assistant, and the Warrens’ own daughter, all of whom are little more than sentient window dressing.
The “based on a true story” tale sees mysterious things happening around the Perrons’ house, which naturally leads them to consult with the Warrens. From there, there’s the standard “there’s an evil entity here” business, with the ghosthunting crew digging up the convoluted history of the place where, shock of shocks, some grisly events happened in the past.
The instigating event (spoiler warning, boys and girls) is a murdered Salem witch who possesses women to have them kill their children. The intention of this motif is clear and solid, with this witch (subtly named “Bathsheba”) finding particular resonance with the clairvoyant Lorraine, who sees visions of her daughter’s death, and Carolyn who is, inevitably, the one who actually gets possessed by the evil spirit. The rub is that The Conjuring hammers this point home again and again, to where the possession of Carolyn is as predictable as its solution.
But if you’re not walking into the theater because you care about story or character, The Conjuring can be a lot of fun. The cinematography is an integral part of the film, using unique perspective shots to give the appearance of something just beyond the frame, doing Vertigo-style zooms, and turning things upside down or using tracking shots to convey movement and uneasy situations. The cameraman is arguably the most interesting and active character in the film, feeling like a real presence that gives the movie what grace it can muster.
The other side of the coin is that the movie is just too much. It doesn’t just feature a few interesting instances of hauntings. It gives you every haunting cliché you’ve ever seen. There’s dead dogs. There’s dead birds. There’s gnarled old ladies. There’s creepy little kids. There’s people floating. There’s people sleepwalking. There’s pictures falling off walls. There’s mysterious cellars. There’s crazy laughs. There’s creepy dolls. There’s snarling and cackling and garble-voiced threats. If you’ve seen a haunted house movie before, chances are whatever dramatic scare you witnessed has been stapled into The Conjuring somehow.
The same goes for that engrossing cinematography. While the occasional long take or flipped perspective can add juice to an otherwise stock scenario and setting, the omnipresent use of all that showiness can make a scene feel too busy rather than the desired level of chaotic, like director of photography John R. Leonetti is throwing everything on the wall and seeing what sticks. The same goes for Joseph Bishara’s score, which tells you exactly what you should be feeling and when you should be feeling it in a similarly over the top fashion.
It was also striking to me to discovery that The Conjuring was directed by James Wan, soon to join the D.C. Extended Universe film with his upcoming Aquaman feature, because all of that “more is more” visual styling and tin-eared dialogue made me think of one man, who’s also dabbled in the horror genre before jumping to superheroes -- Zack Snyder. It’s not just the presence of Watchmen’s Patrick Wilson here; everything from the alternating washed out and then high-contrast colors to all the usual sound and fury signifying nothing.
But again, it’s good sound and fury. On a pure pound-for-pound basis, The Conjuring knows how to make you sit up and take notice of all the ways it’s trying to creep you out, and that’s certainly worth something. It’s just a shame that all the creativity that goes into breathing these (admittedly stock) scenarios to life in terms of the effects and the visuals doesn’t translate to crafting any characters worth giving a damn about, or creating an arc that doesn’t rely on the standard beats and clichés. You’re bound to remember The Conjuring’s creepy moments when you’re falling asleep at night, but you’ll quickly forget the rest of the movie.
one of the most scary movies ever
I'm on a roll with films that start off really well and then descend into ridiculous Hollywood nonsense. The first two thirds of this film were fantastic, and then... well... no spoilers. Just enjoy them using 90% of the special effects budget in the last 20 minutes.
I thought the Conjuring was supposed to be scary....what a joke lol
Just meh. There was nothing scary about this one. Typical exorcist type movie. Nothing new to see here.
Very very nice movie
Based on a true story (but not really), The Conjuring is a fairly rote haunted house film from director James Wan. The story follows the Perron family as they experience a series of supernatural disturbances and turn to a paranormal investigative team for help. Starring Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, and Ron Livingston, the film has an impressive cast (though the performances are rather mediocre). The material is pretty familiar (spooky noises, apparitions, possession, etc.), but Wan does a decent job at providing the typical jump scares. While it delivers a few good frights, The Conjuring is a formulaic, cookie-cutter film that just recycles a bunch of old horror tropes.
After recently watching the third installment in The Conjuring Saga, I felt the sudden urge to get creeped out again and rewatch the first movie.
I don’t get scared easily watching movies, in fact that almost never happens. But The Conjuring actually got me. Not because of jump scares or creepy creatures, no because the atmosphere build is undeniable scary. James Wan has a talent to get you in a moment of surprise. He builds up the scares and then delivers, but never when expected. He also manages to do what is missing in most modern horror films, he makes you care about the characters and invest in there fate.
The actors also do a tremendous job. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson carry this franchise on their shoulders and deliver career defining performances. But everyone in this cast does a great job.
It’s an instant classic in the horror movie genre and certainly one of the best of its kind.
Well done! Thanks for a great scare
Do you also get more excited when at the beginning of a movie you gonna learn it is based on a true story?
I do.
Buena película efectos bien logrados.
Good, but not up to the standard of the mesmerising and even quirky Insidious.
Just enough scare and at the right times. My wife got too scared to finish it; so I watched alone in the dark. Best way to see this movie.
So creepy that it's based on real events.
Overhyped. Good by the genre standards but offers nothing new. The direction is good, the acting is nice and though it avoids one main cliche of the genre, it certainly follows every other one.
All in all, lower your expectations. It's not what you would expect from the buzz it created.
One Word: Intense! The good old school horror is back! this is what horror fans have being expecting !
I have seen a lot of Horror Movies ( and i mean a lot ) and very few left me so nervous while watching it. On top of that I have see this at 3 am; alone in the dark; big room; sound to the max ( no neighbors :P ) and i gotta say i haven't had such a an amazing movie moment in a long time. On top of that, most horror movies loose a lot of quality when it comes to plot and performances, they were top notch on this one. I rarely give 9 or 10 to a Horror movie but this one deserves it for the amazing 112 minutes ride!
If you're a fan of horror movies and have been looking for a good horror movie, please go and see this. It is by far one of the best horror films that I have seen in any recent years. I'm not a fan of James Wan as Insidious had so much potential and then just did a nosedive not even halfway through the film, and while Saw is of course a sort of legacy, it wasn't particularly my cup of tea.
The Conjuring is great. I didn't recognize much of the corny scenes that many people are talking about, though this could be due to the fact that I was pretty much terrified the entire time. The performances were spectacular as well as the make-up and many of the special effects, though there are some in the horror genre that I've never been a fan of, but they're also ones you can't really do without. I truly recommend this movie to any horror fan. You will not regret it.
If you're looking for horror this Frenchies is the way to go.
So how did "The Conjuring" become such a mega-franchise? Sure, the cast is good, and the film is competently realized by director James Wan. But a bit more suspense and a more interesting mystery would have been nice. Admittedly, I'm really not a fan of the haunted house genre, but if you're going to go all out on jump scares, then a few of them should hit the mark. For me, at least, this didn't work consistently. But I don't want to give up on the series—at least not after the first part. With a better case, it could have been much more than just a solid horror film.
Have to say that the parts when they start flying, and also the one when the mother is yelling under the kitchen (near the ending), made me lmao. Otherwise, very good horror movie, and I like it even more for developing a storyline inside The Conjuring Universe.
Incredibly well done horror/paranormal film based off of a true story. Now yes, some of it may have been a bit far feched but very entertaining. The plot set up could have been done better, but the acting and story explanation and telling was so good. The lead up to the big parts was so much fun to watch. The scenes of paranormal activity especially the exorcism was great. There was also an unexpected emotional aspect to it as they did such a great job to make the audience feel an attachment to the family.
Actually scary, unlike Insidious (IMO). The acting was phenomenal, and though the story did drag a little bit in the middle, it was still good and interesting.
"When the music stops, you'll see him in the mirror standing behind you."
The only time I've seen the Conjuring before was at the cinema and I remember thinking it was one of the more scarier films I've had seen in awhile back then. So with part 3 being released in the Conjuring main series I thought it would be a great time to revisit 1 and 2.
The Conjuring really holds up for me. I still really liked the setting, Vera Farmiga still rocks, Patrick Wilson really completes the couple together. Throw in Lili Taylor and the cast is great for a horror movie. The "clap-scene" is still wonderful, I love the mix of a haunted house and possession movie, I love the world building and hinting to all those other paranormal cases in the room at the Warren household. Annabelle is still a scary looking doll and I still love the scenes with that damned music box.
Hopefully part 2 holds up too and I can not wait to see the new one. Anyway The Conjuring is amazing and it shows that James Wan really knows how to craft long running franchises.
A couple of things.
If your dog won't go in your new house then don't move there.
Also, this could have all been avoided had they got a decent survey done before purchasing.
With it’s revolutionary jump scares that had excellent build up to the surprisingly heartfelt core there’s no way this film can’t be considered one of the most influential and overall best modern horror films. If you haven’t seen it you’re seriously missing out on something great.
First time rewatching this, I gotta say it's definitely one of the better modern blockbuster horror films I've seen. It’s not quite as scary as I remember and I find it hard to take The Warrens seriously sometimes but this film finds ways to be memorable and succeeds at creating some genuine creepy moments and tension-building. It’s a pretty simplistic haunted house/possession/exorcism story but the atmosphere and sound design are masterfully crafted. It's full of decent visuals and performances. I just noticed the camerawork is excellent!
Fingers my spooky bone.
Thrilling.
"The devil exists. God exists. And for us, as people, our very destiny hinges upon which one we elect to follow."
From the person who brought us the first Saw and Insidious, of course The Conjuring is another intriguing movie to add to any horror list. Vera Formiga and Patrick Wilson are very likeable as The Warrens, and this was just as enjoyable the 2nd time around.
The Warrens are frauds who made a living selling spooky stories to gullible people. Now we've got a whole film universe that acts as well-produced propaganda for them. Cool.
Not what it was cracked up to be scary enough to be enjoyed
This might be the most terrifying and well done movie I've ever seen. It is very frightening and all the actors give good performances. The music and sound editing is great, as well as the cinematography. And the best of all is that it sets everything for The Conjuring Saga. I've watched it twice and I will definitely watch it again.
This is one of the worst horrors I never want to watch again. It has some jump scares and a good plot/history. And no unnecessary dragging story around.
I am not a fan of horrors but decided to make an exception for one of the best rated horrors of all time. I am glad I watched it and really regret watching in a dark room at 11pm...
Very well made and absolutely terrifying. I loved the dynamic between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. There is a ton of world building and endless possibilities with that room of theirs.
Definitely has some good scene especially the ending.
Became one of my fave horror films simply because there's no skeptical character dragging the plot out by constantly denying everything. It gets to the point and they get to doing something about it immediately :clap_tone2:
The first time I watched this, I wasn't that impressed. Rewatching recently, I was a little too harsh. This is a fun, decently scary haunting story. Watch it in the dark with the sound turned up. A good time will be had.
Pretty good liked that it relied more on creepiness than jump scares.
8/10
Based on just the movie itself it's a good movie. It keeps you on your toes and is fun to watch. To me this isn't scary. A movie hasn't been able to scare me since 2003's 'Darkness Falls' and that was because I was 6 years old and also afraid of the dark. Still this movie birthed a second movie and two movies based off the Annabelle doll.
Não sou muito de ver filmes de Terror/Horror, talvez por isto que devo ter gostado. Algumas cenas dava agonia como a cena que a espírito demoníaco espiava as crianças ou quando ele surge em cima do guarda-roupas prestes a atacar.
Magnificent work on the supernatural with an admirable and even stunning achievement in the way knows how to magnify the effect of terror.
Magnifica obra sobre o sobrenatural com uma realização admirável e até mesmo atordoante na forma como sabe ampliar o efeito de terror.
James Wan continues to show that he is one of the most consistent horror directors with a film that is probably his best ever. The characters are interesting. I almost felt like I wanted more for them because I was so intrigued by them. The jump scares work when they are used and feel totally natural with a handful of great performances. I don't know if Patrick Wilson has ever been better.
This movie is scary. Only a few cheesy moments. 8/10.
The Conjuring
Ed: Stay here and let me handle this.
Lorraine: I won't let you do this alone.
Ed: No.
Lorraine: No.
Credits
Just the best horror movie of the last few years. Excellent soundtrack, acting and directing. A Masterpiece.
slow at first, then in the middle give little sparks, and the ending satisfied me.maybe this will be among the top horror in 20th century.
Amazing movie, perfect soundtrack. Don't really like how it ends, tho.
good one, i got scared in many parts
Some pretty good scenes...with a better ending, a perfect 10...
Check twice the property when buying from the secondary market ;>
Solid plot, scares were okay too. Overall a complete horror movie.
Es una de las mejores peliculas de terror de los ultimos tiempo.Se nota que su director y creador es Wan y como intenta y logra verdaderamente llevar al terror clasico.Si amais el genero de terror no deberiais dejarla pasar.
"Y así llegamos a las tres etapas de la actividad demoníaca: infestación, opresión y la posesión"
Wow, what a movie...ok I'm not an expert in this kind of genre, but a lot of what you watch is too klischee, too predictable, too whatever...but this one? My gosh I wasn't sure if my sphinster would hold!
What should I say? I love that movie!
That doll is so... creppy
Amazing movie! I'm not easily scared but I finished watching it a paranoid mess... (December 20th 2013)
A story, that's all what's different from all the other so exorcist movies. Not my cup of tea.
I enjoyed it. It is certainly better than 99% of the scary movies out there and didn't require (much) gore in order to achieve its goal.
The time period was fun if a little wrong. The 70s weren't the 60s but I'll go with it because it was visually appealing if I ignored the anachronistic goof.
Scariest movie I have ever seen. I hated that clapping moment. Not a movie for the kids. Way way way too evil.
I have seen best horror movie last time
One of the better movies within the genre for the past couple of years. Most of the scares are classic ones though, so don't expect to see something totally new here. Also, towards the end it becomes a bit to clichéd. Its very similar to amityville horror and the likes.
The one thing which really pissed me off about the ending, is the emphasis on that its based on a true story. Come on...
Another terrible warrens inspired haunting.
Very good and solid. It was very scary.... my compliments for the lighting of the movie it was superB
Um dos melhores filmes de terror do ano, se não o melhor.
Good and scary, but a little over the top on the final act.
o filme mais assustador, aterrorizante de 2013...nem dormi direito, ainda mais sabendo a história real da Annabelle e do casal Ed e Lorraine Warren, muitooooooo tensooo!!!!!!!!
It's good.. But certainly no Insidious or Sinister... The cliche's in this movie were noticeable, but I ignored it seeing that these types of movies don't come out as often as they used to anymore.
Idk to how watch movie and I just got the app HELP PLEASE!!!! thank you
It's tough to make a great scary movie. This one did a great job. There were some very cheesy lines, but I ignored them because that's not really the reason I went to watch the movie anyways. Definitely recommended if you like the genre.
James Wan made a very creepy, suspenseful, and great horror film. This movie will have you clenching your fists and on the edge of your seat the whole time. The shots in this movie are just beautiful and really freak you out. James Wan really put a nice touch on this as director. If you are looking for a great summer flick to get scared at, look no further. Highly recommend! Must see! 9.5/10
Review by Ahys STBlockedParent2013-08-15T11:10:38Z
Creepy. Thrilling. Suspenseful. Conjuring.
My friends and I have been planning on seeing The Conjuring for a while now. There was quite a hype going around about how freaked this left a bunch of our friends, so I guess there was some level of expectation. I wasn't expecting much, though. This is the first "horror" movie I've watched in months (I never really saw the appeal in them, except when watching with friends), and it definitely did not disappoint for me.
At the end of the film though, my friends kept saying how it wasn't scary (which contradicted their screams from a few minutes before that lol) and how it does not compare to Insidious, a film which we all watched together two years before.
What my friends did not appreciate was what I liked about it: there actually was a story. It was developed and did not just focus on trying to scare the crap out of you with shocking music and sudden appearances by creepy-faced hags. I have to admit, I still found some scenes definitely cliched and corny.. It's not perfect, but it wasn't bad either, which is saying something because I've hated horror movies growing up.