I’m an atheist, a skeptic, and a rational human being. I don’t believe
in gods, psychics, demons, ghosts, or other spooky things. That being
said, I’m a huge fan of
The Exorcist, and I am perfectly capable
of employing the suspension of disbelief necessary to thoroughly enjoy a
film about demon possession. I went into
The Conjuring with an open mind, expecting to enjoy some classic horror thrills. But what I saw
instead was a movie that seemed obsessed with falling into the realm of
the completely absurd, destined to just be another forgotten mainstream
horror film.
The Exorcist was tempered in its execution, relying on
traditional scares, clever lighting, and superb sound design to sell you
on its premise, and that’s why it was so effective. The Conjuring
starts out following this time-tested formula, but soon devolves into
nonsensical crap, stabbing your suspension of disbelief to death with
one of the silliest exorcisms ever to haunt a horror movie, floating
shotguns and biting demons included.
