Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, Mackenzie Foy, Kyla Deaver, SHannon Kook
More info: IMDb
Tagline: Based on the true case files of the Warrens.
Plot: 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.
My rating: 6.5/10
Will I watch it again? No.
I didn't realize until the end credits rolled that this was directed by James "SAW (2004)" Wan. I was surprised because after seeing his DEAD SILENCE (2007) I'm shocked that he could be so reserved. It's kind of a combination of THE EXORCIST (1973) meets POLTERGEIST (1982) meets THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979). There were a few jump scares but not nearly as many as SAW or DEAD SILENCE and he even threw in a couple of good ones like when the hands show up from the darkness and clap or when the kid gets yanked from her bed. I was pleasantly surprised. But when it was all over I was entertained but I'm more surprised at how much Wan has grown as a horror film maker than anything else. Good score by Joseph Bishara.
Good review. Hey, it's a horror movie that actually scared me a bit. Always a positive in my book.
ReplyDeleteIt got me a couple of times, too, which I dug. I may give it another shot a few years down the road. I'm just glad it wasn't the mess that was DEAD SILENCE.
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