Upon watching this movie again, I was struck by how prominent the themes of family and love are woven into the story. It’s easy to get caught up in the predominantly supernatural aspects, but underlying all that are true representations of love. Not the lustful romantic type that starts out intense and fiery, but the kind of love that builds and only becomes stronger over time. This is exhibited in both the family and the Warrens.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga do an outstanding job of representing that kind of relationship. A partnership built on trust, understanding, and commitment to each other and their perceived purpose in life. There’s a real connection that comes through in their performance. This isn’t unseen in other horror films, but it is uncommon enough, and portrayed well enough here, to be noteworthy. The rest of the cast is well-rounded, with Lili Taylor giving a strong performance as the mother, just looking for answers and protection for her family. Director James Wan has done a fine job bringing out sound performances from the cast; a great part of the reason why the series has been so successful.
Visuals: It didn’t take long to find improvements in this new 4K release when comparing it to my old Blu-ray copy. Early in the prologue there’s a shot of the interviewees against some windows. On the Blu-ray, the outdoors are almost completely white and blown out, while you can clearly make out the windowpanes and outside trees and surrounding environment on the 4K disc. Another example is during a flashback scene on the beach. The Blu-ray looks more uniform and even bland, while the 4K is vibrant and life-like. I always regarded the Blu-ray as a high-quality transfer, but the 4K is a clear improvement.
The camerawork itself is noteworthy as well, it’s active and also features some tricky shots that help keep the audience disoriented. The movie features a ton of practical effects that help propel the story and heighten the drama. This is a great looking film.
Audio: There have been some recent 4K releases of older films where the bass has been rolled off when compared to earlier versions. I’m thrilled to report that this disc doesn’t follow that trend. While I would have liked to see an Atmos remaster, this mix has always been a fun audio treat, so I can’t fault the DTS-HD MA 5.1 sound too much.
I’m a sucker for well-placed knocks, slams, cracks, and creaks, and this move makes good use of them, typically following a quiet scene to maximize the jump scare. The use of strong bass is used to great effect and reminded me that I really do need to track down a pesky rattle one of these days. The soundtrack, by Joseph Bishara, features drawn out brassy horns, deep bass notes, and foreboding strings. The combination of score and audio work is an outstanding match with the genre.
Special Features: There are two new extras here that weren’t on the original Blu-ray. Both feature the cast and crew talking about the making of the film and what it’s meant for them. All of these are worth investigating for those that are curious.
- Scariest of Them All (NEW) - The cast and creators of The Conjuring take a look back at some of the greatest scares of the series, uncovering what made these films so iconic.
- Reflections on the Conjuring (NEW) - More than a decade after the release of the original film, the cast and crew of The Conjuring reflect on their experiences creating one of the most legendary horror series in history.
- The Conjuring: Face-to-Face with Terror - Relive the real-life horror as the Perron family comes together to reflect back on the farmhouse they shared with diabolical spirits for nearly a decade.
- A Life in Demonology - The real demonologist and paranormal experts from The Conjuring take you inside their life’s work and into their personal occult cellar, where they keep haunted and unholy relics from their many cases.
- Scaring the “@$*%” Out of You - Director James Wan (Saw, Insidious) welcomes you into his world and gives an inside look at the at the scenes that scare the “@$*%” out of moviegoers time and time again.
Final Verdict: Any horror fans that haven’t watched this yet owe themselves a treat. Based on the Warren’s account of events, the movies blend the supernatural with an underlying theme about the importance of family bonds.
Highly recommended for horror fans. Even my wife, who doesn’t particularly care for this type of films, had to admit that it’s a good movie.
While some of the secondary spinoffs have been disappointing, this is a strong starting point for the core series, with the second being equal, if not surpassing the first. The third slips a bit but is still entertaining. The fourth, and final entry will be hitting theaters later this year, and I hope it manages to go out with a bang. The end will certainly leave the audience wishing for more.
Intriguing Facts: Annabelle is one of the most distinctive horror icons from this century so far, with its distinctively devilish grin, but the real-life version is actually a Raggedy Ann doll. It’s hit the news lately when a paranormal investigator named Dan Rivera died while touring with it. It made the news again this month, when it was announced that comedian Matt Rife and business partner Elton Castee, had purchased the Warren’s home, with the intent of opening it for visitors and overnight stays. In addition, they are leasing the Warren’s collection for at least the next five years, with the intent of opening a museum in a different location to showcase them. The actual items are still owned by the Warren’s daughter and son-in-law, Judy and Tony Spera. The Speras have no intention of ever selling the actual items.