The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it - A Movie Review

I don’t have a good feeling. Do you feel the room getting colder, or is it me?

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it is the third installment of The Conjuring series released in 2021. The Warrens are assigned to the most difficult paranormal task in their careers. Tracking down the pieces to solve this mystery, the Warrens' relationship is put to the test.

After binge-watching the first two Conjuring films, I was so excited when the lights dimmed in the theater. Because of the change in director, there was a different atmosphere with the third film of the trilogy. It tried too hard, along with the horror angle. Trying a hand at being a mystery film over horror, it could have had a stronger angle.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are the highlights. Even with their incredible talents, embracing these iconic roles, the film still did not have the usual energy. Mixing drama and comedy, Wilson and Farmiga have the best chemistry. They felt like a real couple paying respects to the real investigators.

Unlike the last two Conjuring films, the characters don’t have much depth. They were just there for story purposes and to perform scary sequences. Credits to include are Rauri O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hillard, John Noble, and nightmarish appearances by Eugenie Bondurant. The cast did a great job. If only they had better direction.

In the first two Conjuring films, writers gave supporting characters a purpose. I wanted to connect with these characters, but they were not given depth. Arne and Debbie (O’Connor and Hook) should have been given more time to let their relationship evolve. And I would have liked to have seen more with David (Hillard) who had a significant role in the beginning.

Michael Chaves had a lot on his shoulders as the new director for this Conjuring film. It didn’t match the same atmosphere. Neither did the scares. The first half of the film was good, but then it slowly detaches itself, losing itself in a maze of where to go next. Chaves needed to focus more on his direction on the characters, rather than the scares.

The scares were predictable. I was actually looking forward to being scared. That’s one of the best parts about The Conjuring films. Weak scares aside, the story was told well. The pacing was fine, but the writers had issues on where to take the story next. Opening with a frightening sequence, it is the signature part of the film that had me on the edge of my seat.

James Wan, the director of the first two Conjuring films, mentioned that he wanted to get out of the haunted house setting. I thought that this was a good idea because, in my opinion, that scenario got old in the second film. They should have built more time divulging into a mystery thriller.

The climax rips off The Shining. This adaptation was so scattered that I started to lose focus by the end. It should have provided more connection with the characters and the underlying mystery. You could see the jump scares coming, and they were just fakeouts. The film did not match James Wan’s otherworldly cinematography.

There was also one sequence with very noticeable CGI effects. Putting this one sequence aside the special effects, preferably makeup was made to an unsettling quality.

Despite it being the weakest of the series, I still recommend that you see it. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it is worth experiencing in theaters. I forgot how much fun it was to be scared with an audience.