A family is plagued by a demonic entity in their farmhouse,
prompting a paranormal investigative couple to try to banish it.

HORROR

The Conjuring (2013)

Directed by James Wan

Written by Chad Hayes and Carey Hayes

Starring Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, Mackenzie Foy,
​Kyla Deaver, ​​Shannon Kook, Sterling Jerins, John Brotherton

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Connor Eyzaguirre

​June 12, 2016

8/10

The Conjuring is easily one of the best horror movies of the decade so far and, I would say, one of the best ghost movies of all time. It's based on the real life case files of well-known paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who looked into a number of possible hauntings during the 70's and 80's, including the Amityville haunting. The events that inspired The Conjuring are said to be the Warrens' darkest case, so dark that they never brought it to light until now. With a set up like that, you know you're gonna be in for a treat if you're a horror fan.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play the Warrens, with both of them bringing serious character actor gravitas to their roles. Under the direction of modern horror's greatest filmmaker, James Wan, they encounter some of the creepiest spirits ever put to film. Starting with the story of Annabelle the Doll to explain just what the Warrens are all about and finalizing with a seriously freaky exorcism, this film checks all the marks in horror fan bingo. Dark unsettling music? Check. Creepy little children? Check. The scariest game of hide-and-seek ever? Check. The Conjuring is one of the few horror movies to achieve mainstream success, grossing nearly $150 million worldwide and scoring critical praise, all of which it deserves.

This film somehow broke the stigma of horror films being labeled as bad simply because of their genre. Everybody loved it because it's not just a good horror film. It's a good film, period. The Conjuring builds up the tension and scares the absolute hell out of everybody without the need for sex, gore, or even bad language. It earned its R rating on fear alone. That's incredible for a modern horror film. This is the bar that all ghost movies should try to aspire to.