The Conjuring series may very well be the best horror franchise chugging along today. Sure it has had its misfires, with The Nun and The Curse of la Llorona, but for everyone of those (which are still admittedly better than half the big studio garbage pumped out today) you get a true horror classic like Annabelle: Creation or the first two Conjuring films. It’s safe to say the franchise would not exist if it weren’t for one James Wan, the best working horror director today. His rising star may have prevented him from helming the third instalment in the mainline series –The Devil Made Me Do It – but that hasn’t stopped Warner Bros from surging ahead anyway, with la Llorona director Michael Chaves stepping into the directing shoes.
How does he do? Pretty damn well if you ask me. The Devil Made Me Do it never fully recovers from Wan’s absence, but Chaves wisely moves the story into new territory, centering on real-life demonologists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) as they not only battle unholy forces again but the judicial system, in a frantic race to find crucial evidence that will spare a possessed young man from a murder charge. It’s a story that is, perhaps to what some will consider its detriment, less focused on scares and more so on the relationship between Ed and Lorraine. This is Wilson and Farmiga’s fourth time playing these roles and they get better every time, with such a natural chemistry and believable love for each other that it is just impossible not to root for them against evil. By throwing new, very human hurdles at the Warrens (Ed is in constant fear of suffering a heart attack following an incident) Chaves plays on our fear of losing one or both of these characters to terrific effect. It isn’t so much scary as it is unbelievably tense at times, and you fully believe that the couple could perish at any minute despite their headlining status.
Warner Bros, 2021
Where the story falters is in its characterisation of the supporting cast. In the previous two Conjuring films the Warrens were used almost as a device to stitch together a broken family, revealing their bond and endearing themselves to the audience as they help some truly damaged people. Here however, the victim in question, Arne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor) just isn’t given enough screen-time or things to do to ever truly make you care. Once he arrives in prison following the demon-driven murder of his housemate, that is pretty much it for his character, who acts more as a visual ticking clock to remind you of the stakes for the Warrens rather than his own fully fleshed out character. There are attempts made to flesh out Arne through his devoted girlfriend Debbie (Sarah Catherine Hook), with Hook giving a fine dramatic performance, suitably distraught at her boyfriends predicament but nothing we haven’t seen before from the franchise. By not having the Warren’s thoroughly interact with Arne and learn about him the whole affair becomes a bit deflated. We only really care because we have a pre-existing care for the Warrens and no half-baked attempts to assert Ed’s confidence in Arne’s innocence because he caught a look in his eyes is enough to fully bring the audience on board.
Then there are the scares, which by most people’s assessment will make or break the film. Nothing here is as iconic or instantly impactful as the Nun’s arrival in The Conjuring 2 or the game of hide and clap in the original, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some incredibly well shot and paced scares. The highlight is undoubtedly an all-too brief water-bed scene, which puts child actor Julian Hillard’s skills on full display. It’s a slow burn of a scare, but when it hits it hits like a shot-gun blast to the face. Everything else… not so much. It’s a hard thing to dance around without spoiling things but sufficed to say Chaves places so much focus on the mystery of the demon and its origins – replacing the simple terror of a demon unleashing hell of the previous films with something more manipulated- that the premise just inherently some of the fear factor. What we’re left with are a series of pretty stock-standard jump scares that, whilst predictable, are still done better than 90% of the horror competition out there, with Chaves always achieving the desired jolt through slick and measured camera movements, demonstrating far more control over the scares than on la Llorona.
Warner Bros, 2021
The Devil Made Me Do It marks a continuation of the shift in tone set by Annabelle Comes Home to less conventional horror storytelling, this time in the form of a demonic-leaning murder-mystery. The lack of James Wan’s flair with the camera is sorely felt at times but Chaves does a commendable job stepping into his shoes; furthering the bond between the Warrens and ensuring the audience has a fun time while he does it, even if the scares don’t quite measure up to the franchise’s best. We may never hit the nightmare inducing heights of those first 2 films again (unless Wan makes a miraculous return) but if this is the direction that the Conjuring universe is heading in going forward, then the future is anything but boring.
Warner Bros, 2021
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It stars Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hillard, Eugenie Bondurant & John Noble – In cinemas now and streaming on HBO Max in the US.
It’s October which means that the spooky season is officially upon us! We’ve put together the 10 best horror films of the 2010s to kick things off, including some of the goriest, most nightmare inducing entries to ever grace the genre. So sit back, grab some popcorn or a nice bloody steak and enjoy some or all of the entries on the list; you’re guaranteed to have a blast… or ongoing psychological trauma.
10. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Lionsgate, 2011
Not in the mood for a really heavy horror film? Feel like something a little light? Then look no further than The Cabin in the Woods, a horror comedy that blurs the two lines between those two genres so perfectly that you’re never without a giant grin on your face. The genre stereotype of a group of teenagers partying together at a secluded house in the woods is given a new lease on life with an added big brother twist that sees a shadowy government organisation attempting to kill our heroes by dropping all manor of nasties into the cabin and surrounding forest. While it is a little light on genuinely scary moments, majority of the fun in The Cabin in the Woods comes from the sense of anticipation it creates as you try to guess what new horror is about to drop into the mix; leading to an absolutely insane and gory finale that might not deliver a satisfying conclusion for some, but sticks to its guns in defying expectations. Look out for one of Chris Hemsworth’s earliest pre-Thor performances, as well as hilarious, scene stealing turns from veterans Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.
9. IT (2017)
New Line Cinema, 2017
What a monumental task it was to adapt the behemoth of a novel that Stephen King’s IT is and make it palatable for modern audiences. Andy Muschietti did just that with his two-film opus and, while the second film might be a bit too bloated in sections and lackluster in the scare department, the first is absolutely superb in establishing an atmosphere of pure tension and terror upon our seven main children protagonists and the iconic Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgard). The film straddles the line between drama and horror, giving you plenty of time with each of the main protagonists to really understand their interplay within the group and what makes them tick; drilling down to their core fears that feed the evil Clown preying on the otherwise peaceful rural town of Derry, Maine. The attachment the film gives the audience to these children means when the scares hit, they hit hard, with particularly powerful performances from Jack Dylan Grazer and Sophia Lillie highlighting just how much more scary things can be to children, sometimes helpless in the world around them when adults turn a blind eye. What knocks the film down a few pegs is its over-reliance on jump scares, particularly in the sound mixing, with a burst of harsh strings blaring out anytime anything remotely chilling happens. It knocks you off balance and lessens the scares considerably as they repeat the trick right throughout, which is particularly disappointing given how utterly terrifying these scenes are without these tricks. Some of the scenes in IT are so ingrained in my brain at this point that I can see them when I close my eyes at night (a particularly annoying bedtime routine) and if that isn’t a testament to how truly frightening the core idea of this film is, then I don’t know what else is.
8. Evil Dead (2013)
TriStar Pictures, 2013
When talks began of a reboot of Sam Raimi’s beloved horror comedy The Evil Dead there was a resoundingly mixed response. This was one of the last of the iconic 80’s horror franchises to get the remake treatment and by dropping the comedy aspect entirely to embrace the horrific nature of its story it also becomes one of the best. Gone is franchise star Bruce Campbell, replaced by Jane Levy’s Mia; a college student struggling with addiction who is brought to her family’s secluded cabin by her brother and friends in order to detox from the cocktail of drugs in her system. When the group stumbles upon the ancient “Book of the Dead” and (in typical horror fashion) start reading, all manner of ancient ghouls and evil entities arise to torment the group. Fede Alvarez’ debut English language feature may just be one of the goriest films ever made. We’re talking arms dismembered with bread knives, faces cut open with shards of glass; truly horrifying stuff. Yet everything moves at such a fast pace and the film draws on the audiences fascination with the “Book of the Dead” and the new horrors that are unveiled with every new passage read that you never really get too tied up in any one scene to the point where the violence feels like overkill. Don’t get me wrong – this is definitely not for the squeamish and you should proceed with caution, but those that finish will be rewarded with a completely different take on the original source material that respects what came before while overhauling it for modern horror audiences to terrific results.
7. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Unison Films, 2014
Before he burst onto the mainstream scene with blockbuster’s like Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit, Academy award-winning director Taika Waititi was making low-budget horror-comedy gold in his home country of New Zealand with What We Do in the Shadows. The vampire comedy, framed as a mockumentary in the style of The Office, is a masterclass in subtle, nuanced humour that only gets better on repeat viewings as you uncover more and more of the mile a minute jokes that are impossible to uncover on a single viewing. We follow vampire flatmates Viago (Waititi), Vladislav (Jermaine Clement) and Deacon (Johnny Brugh) as they take us on a tour of New Zealand’s vampire hotspots and give us an inside look into the day-to-day activities of vampires. It’s a truly hilarious introspective into what would otherwise be mundane but, when looked at through the eyes of a vampire, take on so much more life. Something as simple as opening the curtains becomes a life and death gamble if the sun is out and a pile of uncleaned bloody dishes in the sink becomes a major hassle when you’re trying to seduce new victims to your house to suck their blood. The core cast are all fantastic, with the witty back-and-forth banter never stopping and the introduction of a colourful cast of supporting characters like recently turned vampire Nick (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer) and leader of local werewolf group Anton (Rhys Darby) to flesh out the hilarious supernatural underworld of New Zealand. If you haven’t seen What We Do in the Shadows yet and find you can’t handle the scary stuff, then this is the film for you. Do yourself a favour after and dive into the excellent TV show of the same name currently airing. Thank me later.
6. The Witch (2015)
A24, 2015
Production designer turned director Robert Eggers’ debut film The Witch is an enthralling slow burn period piece that seeps into your brain as you watch and quietly takes you into its clutches, building your connection to a struggling New England family before ripping the rug out from under you and sending your expectations hurtling away. Made with an impeccable attention to detail – from the costumes and sets to the true to the time period dialogue – the film transports you to 1630’s New England, where a young family exiles themselves from their Puritan colony to live a devout Christian life, setting up a farm on the outskirts of a forest. If you’ve seen any horror film you can probably guess that there is something not quite right about the forest but that is where the genre staples end for The Witch. Once we arrive at the farm we rarely leave, with Eggers homing in on the hardships of daily life for the family as they toil away simply to make ends meet. This slow build in tension is only compounded once family members start disappearing and accusations of witchcraft start flying, leading to an absolutely nail-biting, balls-to-the-wall conclusion which will have you transfixed and eager to immediately dive in again to uncover the myriad of secrets Eggers has sprinkled throughout the film.
5. The Conjuring (2013)
New Line Cinema, 2013
Big budget studio horror often misses the mark by placing an over-reliance on the tropes of the genre; mistaking loud telegraphed jump scares and disposable paper thin characters for some sort beloved genre element. It’s understandable to a degree, as these films cost significantly more than typical cheap horror and therefore have to appeal to the broadest possible audience to make their money back. With 2013’s The Conjuring director James Wan showed studios and audiences alike that it was possible to make big budget horror with real, lived-in characters that felt authentic and who the audience could really invest in while also delivering bone chilling scares and sequences simply dripping with tension. Demonologist duo Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) are excellently fleshed out characters whose motivations to help those experiencing the occult are inherently good and don’t require convoluted explanations, leaving plenty of time for spooks. Wan wisely spends a significant portion of the film with the haunted Perron family, showing the loving and caring relationship between siblings and parents and slowly tearing that away as the fear of living in a haunted house slowly chips away at everyone’s happiness and resolve. Once the film hits its stride and the scares start hitting there is really no stopping, with sequence after sequence demonstrating Wan’s excellent understanding and control of the camera and timing of scares. It’s no exaggeration to say that The Conjuring is one of the most genuinely chilling pieces of mainstream horror in recent years, with some of the most unforgettable sequences in horror. I guarantee you’ll never look at “Hide and Seek” the same way again.
4. Midsommar (2019)
A24, 2019
The vast majority of horror films thrive on the darkness. It creates an instant element of dread and foreboding, hiding creatures that lurk in the night and confusing those classic teenage characters stumbling around the haunted house. Ari Aster’s sophomore feature flips that idea on its head, spending almost the entirety of its mammoth runtime in complete, almost blinding light as we follow a group of college students on a trip to an idealistic Swedish colony on the eve of their Midsommar celebrations. Aster’s ability to wring every drop of tension out of the otherwise peaceful situation and slowly build an atmosphere of pure dread is incredible; creeping from mild issues with translation and misunderstandings in cultural traditions to full on cult death rituals and murder plots as the bonds between the group of travelling friends are slowly unwound. Unlike most films of its ilk, Midsommar’s characters are all extremely well written, with interesting interactions and various sub-plots that set them off against each other at a time when the worst thing they could be is divided. Aster plays into the horror trope stereotypes with your typical assortment of characters – the jock, the jerk, the nerd and the final girl – but never dips into the clichés of those characters within the genre, instead poking fun and giving the characters a respectable amount of street smarts that won’t have you yelling orders at the screen. Let’s not forget the absolutely phenomenal performance from British newcomer Florence Pugh, who gives a hauntingly somber performance as Dani, a young girl who has experienced incredible trauma and is slowly coming undone, only to be thrust into this fresh nightmare scenario. It’s a star-making turn that warrants a viewing of the film alone before you even begin to mention the incredible supporting cast, directing and cinematography. Add this to your watch list and let the festivities begin!
3. Halloween (2018)
Universal Pictures, 2018
Another classic horror franchise got the Evil Dead reboot treatment here with Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as the most iconic final girl of all time – Laurie Strode – in a new instalment of the Hallloween franchise. Wisely side-stepping the myriad of varying quality sequels, this reboot picks up 40 years after the events of the original John Carpenter classic, with notorious killer Michael Myers safely incarcerated at a mental institution while Laurie deals with a particularly bad case of PTSD. When a pair of prodding podcasters upset the big man with an investigation into the Haddonfield murders, Michael decides to escape his bonds and go on a repeat killing spree in his old neighbourhood; slashing his way through Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson’s (Andi Matichak) friends on the way to a final confrontation with the one that got away herself. Fan service can derail a film of this type by throwing too many Easter eggs and camera winks at the audience, but David Gordon-Green’s film toes the line just right, giving you those moments you’ve come to the expect from the franchise – like a particularly awesome tracking shot that follows Michael through a series of houses on the quest for his weapon of choice – whilst also building the character of Laurie in a meaningful way. This is a woman who was completely traumatised as a young girl and has lived her entire life out of fear and in response to the idea of Michael returning. That’s a fascinating angle that allows Curtis to play with the character and redefine her for a modern age, which she absolutely does as a total badass, ready with all manner of weapons and booby traps to torment her tormentor. This is a prime example of a reboot/sequel to a major franchise done perfectly right; chock-a-block with scares and gore whilst completely justifying its existence by bringing a meaningful and impactful story to these beloved characters. Bring on the rest of the trilogy!
2. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
New Line Cinema, 2016
A follow-up to one of the most successful original horror franchises in recent memory was never going to be an easy win. The history of horror franchises was stacked against director James Wan in that regard. Nevertheless the horror veteran rallied and crafted a perfect follow-up to the demonic hit, following an all new family in Enfield, England experiencing some truly spooky things, who are once again helped by Demonologist duo Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga). Wan, admittedly, doesn’t change his style too dramatically and the film has something of a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, but when your first film was as successful and genuinely terrifying as The Conjuring was you can’t blame him. Where Wan improves upon the original is in the effectiveness of the scares. They alternate between elaborate, camera shifting anomalies – like teenage girl Janet (Madison Wolfe) sinking through the floor and appearing on the ceiling in the room below – to simple yet extremely effective spooks that rely on camera angles shifting back and forth until something goes bump in the night. The characters are all once again incredibly well fleshed out and the dynamic within the Hodgson family is instantly recognisable and relatable, to the point that they become our main characters more so than the Warrens. That isn’t to say that the Warren’s aren’t key players here and Farmiga in particular is excellent as Lorraine begins to experience visions of future calamities and is slowly unhinged and tormented by a sinister entity. What makes The Conjuring 2 so chilling and memorable is the imagery. There’s a now instantly recognisable iconography of “The Nun” (before the crappy spin-off) and the leather armchair in the Hodgson residence that will make the hairs stand-up on your head whenever you hear the squeak of a leather seat. There’s a reason that the film spawned a myriad of spin-offs on the strength of two of its key scares alone and while those may vary in quality, there is no denying that The Conjuring 2 is one of the most terrifying and memorable films of the decade.
1.Hereditary (2018)
A24, 2018
Watching Hereditary in a packed theatre was a simply surreal experience. This may be the singularly most unsettling film that I have ever seen, slowly establishing a feeling of unease that creeps over you and seeps into your bones as you witness the horrifying story of the Graham family unfold. Ari Aster delivers one of the best debut features, maybe ever, in this tale of overcoming grief which follows Toni Collette’s Annie on a journey to discover more about her estranged, recently deceased mother who she keeps seeing appear in the shadows of her home. As horrific events after horrific events begin to befall the family, Annie finds herself on a downward spiral to insanity as she struggles to balance the discoveries she is making with a crumbling family structure, leading to a propulsive final few minutes that you will not forget anytime soon. Aster displays such a mastery over the camera here, fading shapes in and out of the shadows and playing with the intensity of the blackness in scenes to the point where you constantly second-guess if what you are seeing is on-screen or simply a product of your imagination. It’s an incredibly effective way of establishing that primal sense of uneasiness – if you can’t trust yourself and your own mind then who can you trust? – and ensures that when the scares do hit they hit like a blow to the head. There is a scene so truly shocking and unexpected that I found myself physically disgusted and unable to shake that feeling for at least the next hour; it sets the tone for what is to come in such an effective way that you never truly feel safe again until the credits roll. If all that isn’t doing it for you then perhaps the fact that the performances are absolutely incredible will, with Toni Colette putting in a criminally-overlooked, award-worthy performance that belongs in the pantheon of great horror performances. Hereditary is not only the most terrifying and shocking horror film of the 2010’s, it may be one of, if not, the most horrifying film ever made. If you consider yourself a true horror fan, then you really can’t skip out on Hereditary any longer. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
