In 2010 James Wan delivered what is probably one of the scariest horror films in recent memory, the film was called Insidious. I admit, it scared the crap out of me and I will say that it's now one of my favorite horror films ever. So, will James Wan be able to give out the chills and scares on Insidious? Find out my thoughts below.
Synopsis:
Before there was Amityville, there was Harrisville. "The Conjuring" tells the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga), world renowned paranormal investigators, who were called to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives. -- (C) WB
Story:
I really like the story of this movie, there was more layer to it and therefore making the story not only about one family but it also tackles the story of 'The Warrens'. To me, that is probably what I liked most about this movie, it's not the scares, it's the story. Firstly, while the story was pretty simple, it was engaging and there are giving out a lot of details so that the next scene would work well and it did work well with the movie. Second, the structure of the story was also pretty good, many horror films in recent memory just can't wait to give out the first scare, in this movie, it takes time, they are building up the scare so as it will be more effective and it will make you draw onto the story of the movie more.
Scare factor:
Like I said earlier, Insidious scared the sh*t out of me but I actually find this one a little less scary. Mainly because I think they focused more on the story aspect of the movie (which in my opinion was great) and honestly, it worked naturally. It had the certain balance that you would want in a horror movie, a good story compiled with good scares.
What I also liked about the scares in this film is that it did not rely on jump scares and booming sounds that will damage your ear. It relies on the eerie environment it conceived early on in the movie, most of the scares crawls right in to your skin which was really effective and really scary aside from the usual BOOM scare.
Acting:
Nowadays, when a horror film is being released, we get bad acting, half-assed acting or average acting and that is just sad news. The performance in this film was top-notch for a horror film, it was very believable and you can really feel that the characters are experiencing these terrible things. From the lead characters upto the supporting ones, they gave out powerful performance that turns out to be one of the best aspects of the film. Even the young characters were good and not annoying.
Music:
The music plays a really big part in the movie 'cause it was one of the reasons why the scare factor worked, like I said, it was not the usual BOOMING sound but it was this creepy sound that you can imagine whenever you feel all alone in the house.
One thing that I also liked about the music is that it resonated well with the flow of the story and gives out a perfect combination for setting the mood of the environment.
Cinematography:
I liked it, it wasn't dark and it was able to show what really needs to be seen but there was some shots that I truly liked because it really worked, you will be scared because of this and you will feel isolated and alone during this scene and that was just a tenseful scene.
Direction:
I can now say that James Wan has definitely became a household name when it comes to horror films because not only does he deliver in giving out a memorable scares in films but also managed to write good horror films that is unforgettable and will let you think for days (he didn't write this film though).
I also loved his pacing in this film, it wasn't fast but it also wasn't slow. It was just at the right amount of pacing a horror film needs to be because it didn't felt rushed or it didn't feel boring. In additional, James Wan directed his actors very well because he was able to squeeze out an amazing performance from them.
Overall:
'The Conjuring' might not be as scary as James Wan's previous outing but I will say that this is a much better film than the previous one. Why? Because this film paved more way to the structure of the story (which I think was kind of weak in 'Insidious) while also dishing out good scare tactics.
Grade:
I also happen to have changed my grading system because I feel that in this way, my ratings is much better than my previous one.
Favorite line:
Rory: Want to play a game of hide and clap?
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