The Conjuring 3 : The Devil Made Me Do It
Satan returns in the story of a family plagued by diabolical forces and of the true court case that followed.
Julian Hilliard: fairly spectacular
The Devil Made Me Do It takes us on a nail-biting journey full of twists, turns and jump scares. The opening scene in particular is very intense, and despite some slightly predictably scary moments, the film hooks you in and immerses us into a genuinely creepy situation that has been loosely drawn from true events.
Set in Brookfield, Connecticut, in 1981, it tells the story of a family haunted by a dark presence, and of their fight to prove the innocence of Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O'Connor), arguing that the reason he killed his landlord was because “the Devil made him do it.” It’s also the story of the demonologists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) trying to find out what this dark presence is, why it has taken control of Arne and how they can get rid of it. As events progress, the plot thickens and neatly develops as we watch.
It certainly immerses us into the different characters, putting them into our heads and making their thoughts and emotions both clear and concise. For example, there are numerous instances where a character is possessed, forcing them to see and hear things that aren’t actually there; and the camera work and sound design does a good job of capturing this.
The performances are accomplished, especially Julian Hilliard as the eight-year-old David Galtzel who, in the opening scene, is fairly spectacular. With witty remarks and seemingly accidental humour scattered into the mix, the third Conjuring proves to be both an exciting and entertaining experience.
ALIZA OLNER
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hilliard, John Noble, Eugenie Bondurant, Shannon Kook, Keith Arthur Bolden, Steve Coulter, Ingrid Bisu.
Dir Michael Chaves, Pro James Wan and Peter Safran, Screenplay David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, from a story by James Wan and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Ph Michael Burgess, Pro Des Jennifer Spence, Ed Peter Gvozdas and Christian Wagner, Music Joseph Bishara, Costumes Leah Butler, Dialect coach Brad Brinkley.
New Line Cinema/The Safran Company/Atomic Monster Productions-Warner Bros.
112 mins. USA/UK. 2021. Rel: 26 May 2021. Cert. 15.
