So the scariest film of the Summer is almost upon us, and in the US its already earned an R-rating for being too frightening, but how will this side of the Atlantic fair?

Here’s what its all about… oh and by the way, it’s a based on true events (eek!)

In 1971, Carolyn and Roger Parren move their family into a dilapidated Rhode Island farm house and soon strange things start happening around it with escalating nightmarish terror. In desperation, Carolyn contacts the noted paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, to examine the house. What the Warrens discover is a whole area steeped in a satanic haunting that is now targeting the Parren family wherever they go. To stop this evil, the Warrens will have to call upon all their skills and spiritual strength to defeat this spectral menace at its source that threatens to destroy everyone involved. 

What we thought…

From the get-go, this is not a film which is easily ignored, you may have seen the posters on the underground featuring the rocking chair and a scary looking doll staring at you as you walk past, well, this is exactly what you face the moment the film starts. There’s no messing around as we find ourselves in the midst of one of the Warren’s earlier incidences. What is nice is that you get to know each character individually and the paranormal investigators take centre stage as much as the family being haunted.

As is much loved by any horror fan, the chance to jump out of your seat as someone decides to walk into a dark room, or a booming thud can be heard from the stairs above is plenty! But its not all just about the “scare factor” for the audience, the sinister nature of the tale itself is chilling to the bone and compels you to keep watching. Also the fact that this film is based on true events and that these are all real people adds that little bit of fright (in addition to the awful 1970’s clothing) to the film that might just tip some horror fans over the edge.

Acted well by Vera Farminga as Lorraine and Patrick Wilson as Ed Warren, you feel more and more that you are watching one of their famed lectures rather than a Hollywood budgeted film, and this is one of the many appeals of The Conjuring. Most importantly though it takes you back to the era of The Amityville Horror and The Exorcist with its mix of mysticism, paranormal activity, history and plain old bumps in the night!!

There are lulls in the middle part of the film however, once the key characters have been established and we get the first proper glimpse of exactly what is causing the disturbances, there is a slight anti-climax as it feels like you can predict a little of what happens next. However, this isn’t enough to deter you from the entire second half of the film, there is still a sense of intrigue and wondering as to whether there are more twists in the tale, and there really are…

One of the more enjoyable horror films in recent times, not one that will stick in your memory for years after watching it, but certainly something that will keep you sleeping with one eye open…particularly around 3:07am.

4 stars