Scary movie
Genre: Thriller/Horror. MA15+
What’s It All About? When a family is terrorised by a
powerful spirit, demonologists the Warrens are called in to attempt to vanquish
it.
The Verdict: A winning fright-fest that lovingly recreates classic horror.
It’s true story origins make it all the more chilling. Bring a spare pair of
underpants.
It’s hard to recall a film of recent times that so
authentically and effectively evocates the classic old school horror movies of
the 1970’s and 1980’s.
That it is until this chiller arrived from Australian writer/director
James Wan (Saw). The irony is that in
a time when torture porn and special effects heavy entries in the genre have long
become de rigueur, Wan, one of the modern progenitors of the former (alongside writing
partner Leigh Whannell) here strips things back to create a classic fright fest
complete with creaking doors, spine-tingling scares and that old staple, a
freaky demonically possessed doll.
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| Dorothy was definitely a long way from home |
If you didn’t recognise the high profile cast you
could be fooled into thinking you’re watching a re-release of a classic 1970’s haunted
house horror. The Conjuring – from
the retro opening credits to visual and tonal flourishes that echo classics
like The Amityville Horror, The Exorcist
and The Shining – is a loving tribute
to the era.
"Macabre, atmospheric and genuinely spine tingling"
And it’s 1971 where the story takes root as Carolyn and
Roger Perron (Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston) and their spirited brood of five
daughters make that most familiar of unwise moves into a Rhode Island farmhouse
that (of course) isn’t the charmingly rustic dream home it appears. The Perron’s
faithful dog knows better than to enter its domain though.
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| We need to talk..... |
Soon enough, things start to go bump in the night. And
then some. Mother is coming up in mysterious bruises, clocks are stopping in sync, the temperature is chilly and the kids are
seeing dead people amongst other supernatural idiosyncrasies – tugging of
limbs, errant farting etc. Yes you read correctly.
 |
| Who farted? |
Who you gonna call? It’s time for a visit from veteran
paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera
Farmiga) who discover that the house is indeed haunted by a coven of spirits
with one particularly hateful one about to give them all the fight (and frights)
of their lives. There’s spirits dragging and levitating bodies, crashing family
portraits and one hell of an exorcism. Not to mention some
classic “don’t-go-in-there/down-there” moments.
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| Just hangin' |
Sure, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before but even the
loosest interpretation of the moniker ‘Based on a true story’ adds to the
fright-factor veracity in a major way.
How true to life (or afterlife) the story is, is hard
to tell. It’s based on the case files of The Warrens an infamous real life ghost-hunting
duo (Lorraine has said the film is mostly accurate). In the film, the Warrens light
heartedly attest they’ve been called everything from demonologists to kooks.
We’re told at the film’s beginning that the Warrens have opened their case
files to, for the first time, reveal one of their most infamous ghost hunts
(Another was the basis for The Amityville
Horror).
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| Casper wasn't being very friendly |
What really elevates this horror story above some
others is the top-notch cast. But this film belongs to the ladies; Taylor is
truly haunting, Farmiga truly haunted. She brings a gravitas, an inherent truth
to every role she plays and her clairvoyant Lorraine is no exception.
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| Vera really needed that nasal hair clipped |
Don’t be put off by a clichéd beginning featuring the
aforementioned demonically possessed doll – this is merely a window into the Warren’s
world of hauntings. And while the film looks like it may just be a retread of classic horror
tropes it’s to Wan’s credit that he slowly ratchets up the tension making this
haunting a believable one, the slow-burn then upping the ante in the film’s
second half.
Macabre, atmospheric and genuinely spine
tingling, this is one movie where a backup pair of underpants is best advised.
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