Over the past eight years, The Conjuring Universe has become the standard-bearer in the horror genre. Regarding financial and primarily critical acclaim, the universe has done an excellent job creating a pop-culture love for the franchise, similar to more notable franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, and The Fast and The Furious.
When a Conjuring Universe film is on the way, excitement is evident. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is no different as it continues the universe’s hot streak and cements the Warrens as the beating emotional heart of the franchise.
This time around, the film focuses on a well-known case (“The Devil Made Me Do It“) revolving around Arne Johnson. It’s the first known in the United States in which the defense claimed the defendant had murdered while being demonically possessed.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It reenters the Warren’s world as they perform an exorcism on Johnson’s girlfriend’s younger brother, David Glatzel. During the ritual, Arne offers himself in exchange for David, which the demon accepts, ultimately leading to Arne’s possession and subsequently being locked up for the murder of his landlord, to which he has no recollection of having committed the crime. Rest assured, though, the film is more than just the surfaced premise.
What worked for me in the film is its change of narrative structure. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It breaks from the haunted house tradition that has defined the franchise thus far and blends its classic horror roots with an investigation narrative. Essentially, what we see in this film is Ed and Lorraine Warren channeling their inner Ben Matlock and J.B. Fletcher as they try to decipher the mystery around Arne and his murder case. With the changes in the narrative, the film effectively broadens the story’s scope and world landscape. I view the director’s choice to take us to new locations as a positive. Michael Chaves and company chose to do something new rather than a rinse and repeat haunted house story.
In Michael Chave’s second film in The Conjuring Universe, he steps up to the challenge of directing the flagship series in the universe by blending the horror/investigative structure while still offering satisfying scares and visuals, even homaging one of the most iconic shots of The Exorcist. Aided by cinematographer Michael Burgess, the film has some of the most chill-inducing shots of the series. From someone that feels Chave’s first entry in the universe, The Curse of La Llorona, is the worst in the series, his direction in this film is a massive improvement.
Despite the scares, the heart of this series is Ed and Lorraine Warren. Throughout their entries, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have shown that their chemistry is electric and takes any film they are in together up a notch. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is no different as Wilson and Farmiga are as engaging and charming as ever. This time around, we are treated to what makes their love beat with a backstory to how they first met and the moment they first fall in love – a nice touch that adds to the stakes in the film’s pivotal moments.
The film does offer noticeable flaws, including odd edits and cuts, and moments where you feel as though you’re watching a weekly show that fades to black before heading to commercial. While enjoying the investigative aspect of the film, balancing two linear storylines does affect the film’s tone, hurting the overall viewing experience and lessening the scares of the film.
Despite its flaws, The Devil Made Me Do It is still a crowd-pleasing entry in the universe that will take cinephiles on a devilish wild ride that will warrant binges of Matlock and Murder, She Wrote upon conclusion.
