Spoiler-Free Review of “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” on HBO Max: Love and Hauntings

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“We know the dangers…better than you might think.”

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is the third installment of the popular horror franchise. The film is in theaters and currently available to stream on HBO Max as of June 4th 2021. It stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Sterling Jerins, Ruairi O’Connor and John Noble. The film runs for approximately an hour and fifty minutes.

Ed and Lorraine Warren are back again to investigate the demonic possession of a young boy. After an exorcism is attempted, the demonic presence is far from gone as it begins to wreak havoc on the boy’s sister’s boyfriend. 

Here is the trailer:

The Conjuring 3 has a lot to live up to, but does the change in director and genre water things down too much or is it a welcomed addition? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Undeniable chemistry between Ed and Lorraine Warren.

These two are electric in the film and are probably one of my favorite couples in film history. There is something so real and believable about their chemistry with one another. They have such a strong love and relationship, which makes you root for them that much more.

I thought that both of them gave really incredible performances and their love for one another actually really lifted this film. Even during the quiet moments, you are just completely drawn to them. So many horror films center around younger stars and these two are blowing them all out of the water.

I think I would watch almost anything with them…

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Truly frightening moments.

There was this unsettling fear throughout the other two films that still haunts me even now. While I would say that this film is the least scariest out of them all, there are some moments of pure terror. The opening scene was really terrifying and some of the flashback moments had me on the edge of my seat as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Switching genres.

I thought that this film felt like more of a supernatural crime mystery rather than straight horror. The other films were true haunted house films where this film moved away from that and focused more on finding evidence to prove that the devil really made this guy start murdering people.

In a way, I almost felt like I was watching an episode of Supernatural rather than watching a Conjuring film. This isn’t necessarily a con because I really do love this genre and Ed and Lorraine were just so strong in it so I was along for the ride.

I’m not sure if this is because the director was not the same or if the film was trying to branch off into something else to stay original and fresh, but I think that some fans may have mixed reviews on this approach. 

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of HBO Max

I’m in!

I’ll be honest, I’d follow Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson just about anywhere and they really elevated this film for me. The chemistry between these two was incredible and they made up for some of the duller moments during the film. While it did jump genres, there were some truly terrifying scares embedded within the film and I was entertained from start to finish.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

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