With six films released in the Conjuring franchise so far and at least three more planned for
the near future, how do all of these films stack up?
Are all possessions created equally, or are some spirits more pernicious than others?
While the first Conjuring film is often warmly regarded by horror fans, Annabelle, the prequel
that followed in 2014, is not.
Annabelle made a respectable $257 million worldwide, but reactions to the film were
far from kind.
This spin-off focuses on a couple welcoming their first child while also being terrorized
by a possessed doll that seems intent on taking the mother's soul.
What sets Annabelle apart from other entries in the Conjuring Universe is just how stale
and uneventful the overall film feels.
Throughout most of the film, the haunted doll hardly moves or really even bothers the couple
who owns her.
Outside of some shots of Annabelle looking intimidating or being positioned ominously
in a room, there isn't really much to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
"What do you want from me?
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!"
The Curse of La Llorona follows a mother trying to protect her children from the titular undead
spirit.
The film wastes what could have been an interesting look at an underrepresented piece of Hispanic
folklore by instead making it into a formulaic ghost movie.
The characters don't really have any interesting personalities - particularly the children,
who function more as props to drive the plot than as actual human beings.
Motherhood and conventional ideas about protecting children are highlighted extensively, but
there's ultimately no commentary about those themes.
In the end, the film says nothing meaningful and only manages to deliver a few cheap jump-scares
before the spirit is defeated and the film ends.
With its gothic set design and period costumes, The Nun might be the most visually interesting
entry in the franchise.
However, a nicely constructed set and some interesting costumes aren't enough to make
a film function, and it's safe to say viewers weren't impressed overall.
The film follows a novitiate who is determined to find the root of the evil now emanating
from the monastery and banish a spirit that has taken the form of an undead nun.
The Nun is packed with a handful of boring, one-note characters, plenty of lazy dialogue,
and a deluge of forgettable jump scares.
Ultimately, The Nun manages to feel completely flat and devoid of creative substance, despite
having some stylistic flare.
Annabelle Comes Home serves as another prequel to the the first Conjuring film.
After Ed and Lorraine Warren come into possession of the cursed Annabelle doll, the couple safely
confines the possessed plaything away from the world.
Of course, one slip up is all it takes for Annabelle to cause havoc.
When a girl wanders into the Warrens' locked artifact room and accidentally releases Annabelle,
chaos reigns.
Now free to terrorize as she pleases, Annabelle releases a slew of angry spirits from the
couple's collection of cursed objects, turning the once peaceful Warren home into a demonic
house of horrors.
While Annabelle Comes Home isn't the worst film in the Conjuring universe, it is definitely
one of the most boring.
With a few exceptions, the demons aren't noteworthy enough to make them stand out from the more
interesting cast of unholy spirits we've seen in previous films.
The Conjuring 2 is one of the best received entries in the Conjuring series, but it still
feels a little like the creative team tried and failed to recapture lightning in a bottle
with this sequel.
Like the first movie, The Conjuring 2 follows Ed and Lorraine Warren as they work to save
a family from the demon that's tormenting them.
The film feels like it was made with the intention of setting up an expanded universe instead
of telling a complete, self-contained story.
Aside from the crowded roster of spirits, the primary demon gives its name to Lorraine
in the beginning of the movie, which is the key to defeating it in the end, making the
resolution feel rushed and unearned.
"I do know your name.
I asked you.”
“TELL ME WHO YOU ARE!”
“And you told me!”
Despite these gripes, The Conjuring 2 is still a worthy successor to the first film, making
use of interesting camera work, a slow build-up, and the creepy imagery that fans of the franchise
have come to expect.
Featuring a cast of likable characters, lots of creepy build-up, and tense pacing, Annabelle:
Creation reaffirms that the Conjuring series can still deliver the paranormal frights that
horror fans crave.
As a prequel to the first Annabelle film, Annabelle: Creation shows the origin of the
demonic Annabelle doll.
The film features competent acting from the cast of child actors and decent writing to
support them as well.
Though some of the scares end up falling flat, there are some genuinely visceral moments
that help drive home the sadistic nature of the demon.
There is a unique balance in Annabelle: Creation between highlighting the emotional punishment
endured by the possessed and the physical punishment doled out by the sadistic spirit,
letting the two complement each other and build in anxiety-inducing ways.
The first entry in the franchise is also the best.
Because there was no pre-existing, familiar film universe for audiences, The Conjuring
had to be particularly paced.
Instead of being thrown into the paranormal with little explanation, the characters are
forced to do research, set up and monitor equipment, and work with local police just
to get enough proof to have an exorcism approved.
As a result of all the added legwork, not only does The Conjuring feel more believable
and accessible for audiences, but the frightening pay-offs feel earned.
The chief marker of this film's quality is the building of atmosphere.
This is demonstrated particularly well through how reserved and understated some of the scares
are in the film.
The musical score is allowed to be soft and to serve as a background to scares, instead
of the blaring, bass-heavy blasts that punctuate jump cues in later movies.
Additionally, the minimal CGI used throughout the film is also done with precision, demonstrating
that less really is more.
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