The Conjuring

Movie Name: The Conjuring
Year of Release: 2013

Director: James Wan

Stars: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, Shannon Kook, John Brotherton, Sterling Jerins, Kyla Deaver

Genre: Thriller, Horror

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Following the highly successful "Insidious", director James Wan is back, with another horror story that builds upon on atmosphere and tension, this one in particular based on true events. The film follows the story of Lorraine and Ed Warren, paranormal investigators, who in the 1970s were involved in examining and detailing paranormal events. They are confronted with a particularly dire situation: the Perron family, having bought a house, see themselves confronted with a presence that is haunting them tirelessly. The attacks grow in intensity, until Lorraine and Ed start unveiling the story of the house and of how those presences started to exist.
James Wan is a resourceful director: he builds tension and atmosphere, relying on suggestion to create a sense of unease. He also deftly details the existence of a peaceful and familiar existence that is menaced by something clearly overwhelming. His films are smartly constructed, almost classic in their approach to the hidden menace that makes itself known but not exactly visible. It's a way of creating films that do not rely on gore or extreme violence to entertain the audience. The film has an impeccable production design that recreates the feel of the 70s perfectly. The cast is uniformly good as usual, with highlights going to Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson (he is also part of the "Insidious" franchise). A tense film worth watching.