The Conjuring

Yankin’ my chain

James Wan’s The Conjuring aims to be a strong addition to classic horror movie tropes rather than to redefine the genre, and it largely succeeds. As polished as some of the best of the genre in recent years, seeing the movie in a theater feels like the correct way to witness cinematic horror, of which quality movies are getting harder and harder to come by.

The story isn’t exactly original, but it’s based on something that actually happened, so we can’t really nitpick here. Carolyn and Roger Perron (Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston) move into a practically rotting house next to an ever-misty lake and creepy willow tree with their five daughters, who range from stereotypically bratty to stereotypically stupid-adorable. They quickly realize something supernatural is happening in the house. It begins with strange smells and clocks stopping at the same time every night, then escalates to doors slamming for no reason, demonic figures appearing in the night, and feet being yanked out of bed by unseen forces.