The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

So many wasted Potential! - 5/10

by Francesco Bakhos - 365 Movies Lebanon

Dread, Fear, and paralyzing anxiety are the holy trinity of the Horror genre. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, failed to exploit these crucial factors and we ended up with an unremarkable, yet vaguely interesting version of what could have been an impressive horror experience. 

With a compelling opening sequence which held promise and intrigue, the third installment in ‘The Conjuring’ universe had more than enough source material to truly describe a terrifying experience. The potential to create a terrifically sinister escapade was infinite. Unfortunately, the end result was disappointingly average.

Aside from relying on the few jump scares that the narrative provided, the film lacked direction and motive. It quickly fell back, replaying useless genre’s tropes instead of effectively exploiting the material it is based on.

As usual, the lead characters showed just enough intrigue to keep them relevant. But this time around, the additional characters, which were a major part of the film’s plot, lacked essential development. While enough information was provided to make sense of everything, it still felt like something was missing. In other words, only one side of the film’s characters was exposed.

As expected, Vera Farmiga delivered yet again a stellar performance. Her shared charisma with co-star Patrick Wilson is among the few things that this film nailed perfectly. Additionally, Ruairi O’Connor’ act was formidable.

In addition to the fantastic performances, this film did manage to get a few things done really well. The captivating cinematography and the film’s general vibe exuded a somewhat entertaining and enthralling ambiance.

It is truly disappointing when such potential is wasted. Just a few enhancements and additions, and this would have been a completely different and a more positive review. Nevertheless, the franchise’s loyal fans will find this addition absolutely entertaining!

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