Last night, B.B. and I decided to go see a movie. Originally, we were going to watch Red 2, but when we arrived at the theatre, we found out that there were still seats available for The Conjuring, which had just opened (the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were positive for The Conjuring, but not so high for Red 2). Despite being worried about not being able to have a restful sleep, I told B.B. I would be okay with watching a scarier movie. Without giving away too much of the story away, here’s a brief review of the movie.
The Conjuring is made just a bit scarier, because the director James Wan, makes a point of telling the audience from the get-go that the movie is based on a true story, unlike many other movies where that bit of information is saved for the end. The movie is set in the early 1970s when Roger and Carolyn Perron and their five daughters move into an old farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island. The first sign that something is terribly wrong, is when the family dog is seen shaking on the front porch and refuses to enter the house. The girls play a game called hide and clap (one person is blindfolded and must find the others based on the clapping sounds from the hiders). In playing the game, they discover a boarded up entrance to the cellar, a very creepy room that becomes significant in the film.
During the first night, the family members experience some paranormal activities. One of the daughters is awakened from her sleep because she feels a tug on her leg and mistakenly believes that it’s her sister “pulling her leg.” The next morning, the mother wakes up with a mysterious bruise on her body and notices that all of the clocks had stopped at 3:07 a.m. The youngest daughter goes outside to see the family dog, only to discover that it had mysteriously died during the night. The strange activities increase and the family begins to realize that they are not the only ones inhabiting their home.
The youngest daughter discovers an old music box and is able to conjure up the spirit of Rory, who she befriends; she is able to see Rory once she winds the music box crank and looks through its attached mirror. One night, Carolyn, who continues to get new bruises each day, hears clapping and believes that her daughters are still awake and playing a game of hide and clap. She soon realizes that her children are all asleep in their beds upstairs and she goes downstairs to investigate. The father, who is working late, comes home to find that his family had just experienced some terrifying paranormal activity. He finds his wife locked in the cellar and the daughters upstairs screaming and crying in fear. The Perrons seek the help of the Ed and Lorraine Warren, local paranormal investigators. The Warrens visit the farmhouse and immediately sense the negative energy and agree to help the family. They inform the family that an exorcism on the house may be necessary but must first gather evidence to submit to the Catholic Church who must authorize it.
Even though I knew that “something” was about to happen throughout the movie, it was always suspenseful and a surprise (and I sometimes watched scenes with one eye shut). B.B. was slightly annoyed because there were so many kids in the theatre chatting and nervously laughing throughout the movie, but I welcomed the additional background chatter–I was truly scared and a bit on edge during the movie. If you believe or you have ever experienced paranormal activity, this movie will make you sleep with the lights on, which is what I did after watching this movie.