‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ – Review
Brace yourself for the horrors because Ed and Lorraine Warren are back with another haunting case of the paranormal and the demonic in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and this is horror cinema in its most chilling, terrifying form.
The Devil Made Me Do It reveals a chilling story of terror, murder and unknown evil that shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga). One of the most sensational cases from their files, it starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they’d ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.
As the eighth entry in ongoing The Conjuring Universe, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It again follows the real-life investigative journey of demonologist couple Ed and Lorraine Warren (Parick Wilson, Vera Farmiga), as they set out to destroy the evil that is holding an innocent young man hostage and which sets the stage for a horrific crime. Based on the actual case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, a young man who committed a murder, and claimed to be possessed by a demon while he did so, and which would lead to the first U.S. legal case where a defence of ‘demonic possession’ would be petitioned before the court. It’s in this creepy setting that director Michael Chaves leads audiences into the world of The Conjuring this time….and this entry is freakishly scary.
In presenting another true case file of the Warren’s, Chaves presents a story that plays out in the vein of a nail-biting detective story. And this one features many twists and turns that certainly keep you guessing as an audience member and plays into the creepy ambience that Chaves works to establish in the film. Chaves, who has proven to have a very capable hand for telling horror stories, understands his audience’s familiarity with the world of The Conjuring and he uses this to his advantage and pushes the shock factor and suspense to the limit. It’s really interesting to see The Warrens act as detectives here, and the legal angle of the subject matter keeps things very interesting as we see the law mixed in with the demonic.
In addition to the new genre leanings of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, this film also keeps things interesting by giving the Warren’s a brand new type of antagonist. While we’ve previously seen the Warren’s having to deal with the demonic consequences of possessed objects, this time around they come face-to-face with the forces of a Satanist coven and this dials the horror up to a whole new level of edginess. Within The Conjuring Universe we’ve never witnessed a human face of evil, and this totally adds to the edge of this film as we see the fight between faith and the devil play out.
As always Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are once again perfect in their portrayal of Ed and Lorraine Warren, and as we move into the early 1980s we see age beginning to catch up with the two of them, along with recollections of their past and how their love was formed many years before. The events of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It also cement their power as a couple, and with dark spirits surrounding them, it takes all of their faith, love and resolve to combat this satanic evil. And there are plenty of moments that will have you gripping your seat as these two desperately face the demons in front of them.
In terms of the scare factor, Chaves absolutely brings it with The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and in my mind this is the freakiest and scariest entry of the franchise yet. Having to face down a human evil keeps the suspense high, and there’s plenty of unpredictability that Ed and Lorraine have to face. Added to this is Arne (Ruairi O’Connor), who is also facing his own battles with this demon who is out to devour his soul. And this duel evil threat, and the Warren’s desperate mission to vanquish it, leads to plenty of tension on screen. The film’s mortuary scene is definitely the freakiest moment in the whole film, and Lorriane’s psychic battle with the film’s satanic antagonist’s leads to plenty of intense moments.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me De It deliver plenty of nightmares and horror fans will be very pleased with the scares that are on offer here. So say a prayer for your soul and watch this one if you dare…
Image: Warner Brothers Pictures
