Rated: MA15+
Directed by: Michael Chaves
Story by: James Wan, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Sterling Jerins, Julian Hilliard, Ruairi O’Connor, Bonnie Aarons, John Noble, Eugenie Bondurant, Sarah Catherine Hook.
“If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” -Friedrich Nietzsche.
Based on a true story.
July 18, 1981. Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed (Patrick Wilson), priest and the Glatzel family keep vigil over eight-year-old, David (Julian Hilliard): a young kid. Possessed.
‘I just can’t remember one quite like this,’ says Ed, as the film opens with all the drama of an exorcist.
Set in Brookfield, The Devil Made Me Do It follows the possessed rather than the origin of a demon, giving this third instalment of, The Conjuring series, a different tone.
Here, there’s a hint of the courtroom, with Arne (Ruairi O’Connor), the boyfriend of David’s sister, charged with First Degree Murder and facing the death penalty; Arne’s defence, ‘Not guilty by reason of demonic possession.’
Enter Ed and Lorraine with the interesting premise of swearing to God before giving evidence an argument of: if there’s acknowledgement of God, why not the Devil?
The film is built around a real case, with recordings of the exorcism played-out with the rolling credits. Creepy. Probably the creepiest part of the film.
Not to say there weren’t scary bits – there’s still moments of Lorraine traveling through to an other world as she follows her visions making contact with the source of evil. Made even scarier when she realises the contact goes both ways.
‘Being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared,’ a comment made by Arne to young David before possession turns him into a killer.
There’s certainly some dark themes here, but I have to say the horror in this instalment lacks the same impact as the previous Conjuring films.
And the darkness here is offset by the ever-resilient love story between Ed and Lorraine, ‘My home is here with him,’ says Lorraine about Ed.
There’s also the young love between the accused and girlfriend, Debbie (Sarah Catherine Hook).
So there’s more of a dramatic tone, somewhat humanising the horror. Which for me took away some of the edge to those scares – rather than putting more weight behind the characters.
Not sure why. Maybe I just didn’t believe the young love between Arne and Debbie and the whole standing by her man.
And somehow the foundation of this instalment, with the court case and recordings seemed less believable. How’s that for irony.
But all I can do is review how the film hits me – and it hits OK with more emphasis on the relationship between Ed and Lorraine making the film a balance of love story and horror, for me, diluting the impact of the scares.