Student 1

Stellar Student

Prof. Lewis

ENGL 1301- XXXXX

9 September 2021

The Conjuring: Outstanding or Overdone

Horror in films has changed in many ways, from vampires to zombies and even killer

clowns. However, some horror films based on true paranormal events are in their own league,

while others fall short. For example, The Conjuring, which was released in 2013, is the first film

in what is now called the Conjuring Universe based on the tales of Ed and Lorraine Warren. This

film follows Roger Perron, Carolyn Perron, and their five daughters as they move into their new

home. After a series of terrifying events, they realize that something incredibly sinister is

happening to the house and decide to find help. They contact Ed and Lorraine Warren, a couple

famous for their paranormal investigations. This investigation quickly escalates to the point of

possession and, eventually, exorcism. Although based on true events, The Conjuring lacks

professional production and design, realistic character performance, and an obvious plot for an

outstanding paranormal film.

Professional production is the foundation of any good film, especially when that film is

based on a true story. Capturing the essence of an event from someone's life is no easy task, and,

unfortunately, Director James Wan did not fully rise to the occasion. The Conjuring, directed by

the same crew as Insidious, is almost indistinguishable in practical effects (“Top Cast: The

Conjuring”). All paranormal interactions and sightings are jump scares and quick flashes that

are hard to keep track of. Although they provide a sufficient fear response, there are many more

ways to invoke fear than a brief gasp-inducing glance. Another choice that took from the film’s
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authenticity is the decision to change the story's original setting. The one-story farmhouse from

the original story was depicted as a much larger, generic "haunted house" in the movie. The

director also incorporates an abundance of symbolism that, directly or not, is based on the views

of Christianity. This principle is not uncommon, as Christianity is one of the largest religions in

the world, with over 2.2 billion followers across the globe (Bowen). However, this generalization

excludes a large audience from understanding the underlying fear factor of the story. The editing

of this movie is also subpar; the shading of the film is often brown and tan to offer an older

1970's feel. This tint quickly shifts to black and gray during paranormal occurrences to relate the

character to the viewer, as they are both figuratively and literally in the dark. The flaw in this

logic is that the tint becomes so dark that it becomes difficult to see the character or other

objects, even when they are the scene's focal point. Aside from visual editing, the auditory

effects in the film fall short. During a scene where recorded audio is played back, the audio

recording is heavily distorted because of a demonic presence (The Conjuring 00:57:08-

00:57:30). However, the sound is poorly executed and is more irritating than frightening.

Altogether, Wan and his team did not fully execute the crucial role of telling a true story on the

big screen.

Furthermore, character performance is a load-bearing pillar of storytelling. A script could

be free of flaws; however, the film will have no substance if the actors cannot portray their

characters realistically. The adult cast of The Conjuring mainly consists of Ed and Lorraine

Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, Roger Perron, played by Ron Livingston,

and Carolyn Peron, played by Lili Taylor. The cast's children are Shanley Caswell as Andrea

Perron, Hayley McFarland as Nancy Perron, Joey King as Christine Perron, Kyla Deaver as

April Perron, and Mackenzie Foy as Cindy Perron (“Top Cast: The Conjuring''). This cast played
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fear sufficiently in high-intensity situations. However, fear is more than a collection of screams

and tears. There are many sincere aspects of fear that the cast is unable to portray, such as denial,

confusion, disgust, anger, and dread. While the Warrens are in the home conducting their

investigation, Cindy Perron goes missing under the guidance of a spiritual force. Roger Perron

rushes into the room and begins looking for the child along with Ed Warren. After establishing

that Cindy could not have left through the window, Perron continues checking windows with no

real sense of urgency. Warren eventually pulls the girl out of a crawl space in the walls (The

Conjuring 01:13:26- 01:15:30). Perron keeps calmer than the Warrens, who have seen this many

times before and doesn’t seem to be concerned about his daughter afterwards. For a man who

claims to do anything for his family, he does not act with the frantic fear of losing a child. Later

in the film, in the middle of Carolyn Perron’s (Lili Taylor) intense exorcism, the Warrens ask

Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) to speak to his wife and plead for her soul. Perron begins this

pleading in an extremely monotone voice, telling Carolyn to "come on back" and "fight it" (The

Conjuring 01:40:52-01:41:01). His voice and word choice do not sound like those of a man

pleading for his wife's soul to be released from a demonic force. In lower intensity situations, the

cast falls short in chemistry. The sisters have especially superficial relationships and do not seem

incredibly concerned when one or more girls have supernatural experiences or go missing. The

family lacks many aspects that the audience would expect of a household falling victim to

demonic forces. The Perron family entirely skips over any skepticism or denial, despite

mentioning that they are not religious and do not have any relics in their home (The Conjuring

00:54:02-00:54:07). Overall, the character performance in The Conjuring leaves a lot to be

desired, from fear to family bonds.

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Another critical aspect of any film is the authenticity of the plot. The Conjuring follows a

particularly overdone storyline of a family moving into a house and realizing it is haunted. In any

film, it is not uncommon for pets to warn their owners of danger. In fact, there are countless

movies dedicated to dogs' heroics. However, the family dog trying to alert its owners of the

paranormal only to fall victim to the evil force is a plot point that has been seen repeatedly. The

writers of The Conjuring must know this since the family pet, Sadie only lives for the first fifteen

minutes of the film. Also in the first fifteen minutes of the film, a hidden basement is discovered

(The Conjuring 00:10:27-00:11:20). In true horror film fashion, it is filled with dust, spider webs,

and furniture from the previous owners. Throughout the film, many paranormal occurrences lead

back to this basement, and the movie's climax takes place there as well. The loose interpretation

of The Conjurings plot can be compared to various horror films throughout the years. Wesley

Morris, a top critic for Rotten Tomatoes, claims, "No one needs to make another movie about a

nice white family and the demons that possess them — not even the director of the first Saw.”

(“Small(er) Movie Roundup”). This conclusion is not uncommon; most horror films that follow

this storyline include an all-white cast set in the 1900s. Morris explains many clichés in the

movie, such as the stopping clocks, sleepwalking children, and imaginary friends (“Small(er)

Movie Roundup”). Throughout the entire film, scene after scene can be compared to horror films

like The Exorcist and Paranormal Activity. The Conjuring is simply one among many

paranormal films about a family, their new home, and their demonic roommates.

Overall, all horror films have one purpose from beginning to end: inflicting terror. The

director, writers, and actors of The Conjuring provide a stable, surface-level impact of fear.

However, they lack the deeper, lingering dread that a genuine paranormal film requires to be
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outstanding. In a sea of possession films, The Conjuring blends in with all the others and is not

worth the two hours nor the cost of a streaming service.

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Works Cited

Bowen, Aaron. Christianity. National Highlights Inc, 2017. EBSCOhost, search- ebscohost-

com.dcccd.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e865sww&AN=1930378.

Dargis, Manohla. “‘The Conjuring’ Review: Homeownership Has Its Perils.” The New York

Times, The New York Times, 18 July 2013. www.nytimes.com/2013/07/19/movies/the-

conjuring-puts-lili-taylor-in-a-haunted-house.html?smid=url-share.

Morris, Wesley. “Small(er) Movie Round Up: Because Even the Studio Knows RIPD Is a

Toxic Stink Bomb.” GRANTLAND, GRANTLAND, 18 July 2013,

www.grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/smaller-movie-roundup-because-even-the-

studio-knows-ripd-is-a-toxic-stink-bomb/.

“Top Cast: The Conjuring.” IMDb.com, 2013, www.imdb.com/title/tt1457767 /?r ef = ext_

shr_lnk.

The Conjuring. Directed by James Wan, New Line Cinema, 2013. Netflix,

www.netflix.com/watch/70251894?

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