The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It movie review — Threequel falls short of standards set by predecessors

Language: English Let me come out and say it: the first 20 minutes or so of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (the eighth film in the Conjuring universe and the third featuring paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively) are the franchise at its best: finely crafted horror setpieces anchored by strong performances and a hyperfocused visual style. We see the Warrens on the eve of an exorcism, that of 8-year-old David Glatzel. Things get predictably rough real soon, landing Ed in the hospital. But the Warrens are eventually able to wrench the demon away from the child — until it latches on to Arne (Ruairi O’Connor), the young man who’s dating David’s elder sister Debbie (Sarah Catherine Hook).   [caption id=“attachment_9882701” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson. Warner Bros[/caption] The entire scene is classic James Wan (the creator of the Conjuring and Saw franchises, who co-wrote the story here) territory, right down to the reptilian, spine-twisting “possessed walk” that never seems to get old. In the aftermath of the exorcism, Arne becomes haunted by supernatural visions and goes on to stab his landlord 22 times. In reality, the Arne Johnson trial was one of the biggest stories of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s careers: the first American case in which demonic possession was claimed as a defence (the Warrens testified on Arne’s behalf), it became known as the “Devil made me do it” trial.   On paper, therefore, this should’ve been the most engaging entry in the Conjuring series. Unfortunately, while The Devil Made Me Do It delivers a steady supply of jump scares and decently mounted demonic sequences, it falls short of the standards set by The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2.   [caption id=“attachment_9882721” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A still from The Conjuring_ The Devil Made Me Do It. Warner Bros[/caption] One reason is that this is a film that’s trying to change the basic structure of the series. The Conjuring’s haunted-house formula is giving way to a more generalised paranormal investigation template, something more like Constantine or the Hellblazer comics that inspired the same. Sure enough, the somewhat unwieldy midsection of the film sees the Warrens investigating a murder that also involved 22 stabs — like Arne’s demonic dispatching of his landlord. They also realise that their investigation holds the key to Arne’s trial. At one moment, Ed Warren says, “The court accepts the existence of God every time a witness swears to tell the truth. I think it’s about time they accepted the existence of the Devil.” It’s fascinating, when you think about it: just how much of Western law circles back to Christian imagery and theology. The ‘fairness’ that we all speak of when we speak of the law is in fact inseparable from religious ideas of right and wrong. And yet, on the whole the legal system is a kind of buffer against religious power, the State pushing back against the Church. This is one of the many interesting narrative strands or ideas that The Devil Made Me Do It dangles and then dismisses; the screenplay is just not strong enough to sustain a more thought-out treatment. As a result, there is a certain rote quality to the film’s baggy mid-section, with John Noble’s typically polished outing as Father Kastner brightening things up occasionally (Noble’s voice is among the most distinctive baritones in Hollywood).   [caption id=“attachment_9882741” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Ruairi O’Connor. Warner Bros[/caption] Farmiga and Wilson are on top form, though. Their faith in each other is as strong as the faith they use to stave off the Devil. During an early flashback, we also see how Ed and Lorraine met as teenagers, which I quite enjoyed. It allows these usually solemn, world-weary characters a bit of time to do ‘regular’ things onscreen and the results are quite charming.       After meandering along for half an hour or so, the film roars back into top gear for a thrilling third act, as the Warrens hunt down the rogue occultist responsible for David and subsequently Arne’s possession. One blood-curdling scene in a morgue prefaces the mayhem, and is perfectly choreographed. The climax itself is satisfactorily spooky and ties up some elements from the Annabelle films (a spinoff franchise within the Conjuring universe) as well, making sure that The Devil Made Me Do It sets up the new ‘phase’ of the Conjuring universe. Franchises evolve, in most cases as a response to the demands of the marketplace. The Fast and the Furious films began as a racing franchise and then branched out into full-blown espionage territory (while still retaining the extreme sports sensibility). It remains to be seen whether the Conjuring universe can sustain the new, noir-adjacent direction The Devil Made Me Do It takes. But this is a promising start, albeit one weighed down by a conservative screenplay.   Rating: 3 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is now in theatres.