Film Filter: Off- I believe I had seen this movie advertised as a preview before watching the Evil Dead, and I knew I wanted to see it. Despite the fact that the plot has been used time and time again it looked promising and, well, there's only one way to find out if it is.
Pros- I have to hand it to the actors, as they all did an admirable job. I especially liked Vera Farmiga's character, and her innate likability. She portrayed a nurturing mother character very well, and the relationship with her on-screen husband, Patrick Warren, was very believable. Patrick is no amateur when it comes to horror flicks either, as he can be seen in Insidious, and its sequel which is set to come out next month. I thought Lili Taylor also did a great job in a difficult role, having to be both incredibly nurturing and possessed.
One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed was the dual stories being conveyed at the same time. While, yes, this plot is overdone, it was refreshed by the fact that the story is being told from two perspectives. Interestingly, I found myself more interested in the storyline focused around the Warrens, who are ghost hunters, than I did the Perrons, who was the family being haunted.
It never hurts to have a scary movie that is "based on a true story", and this one seems to be a bit more legit than the rest. I would encourage anyone who has seen this film to visit Ed and Lorraine Warren's website to get some deeper information regarding some of the tales found in the film.
In terms of the movie itself, I can't say I have screamed out loud in a theater so many times since The Woman In Black. This film has some great uses with pop-out moments, that really scare the bejeezus out of you! I had successfully shrieked, flailed, spilled, soda, and kicked the poor person in front of me by the time the movie had ended. That's a pretty decent analysis of its effectiveness right there, above and beyond the verbal praise given to the film. The movie was well structured, there was enough information left open to keep you interested, and the pacing felt pretty standard.
Cons- The movie itself didn't have a lot of cons. The only thing I found myself really wondering was why the Warrens kept all of the possessed items they have collected throughout the years in a room in their house...with their young daughter. I don't care how many times you mention to a kid NOT to enter a room, they're still going to want to. In fact, they're likely to want to even more, now that they know it is forbidden. I just feel like that's a pretty big gamble to have just sitting in your house behind a (sometimes) locked door. And, couldn't at any point one of the spirits decide to unlock the door? I don't know, I guess they have a pretty good amount of control over the situation, but it seems a little inconsistent to me. It's safe enough to keep in your house, but so dangerous you can't touch anything.
P.S.- I think I, and everyone in the theater, wanted to know what Lorraine saw. For real.
Wrap up- This is an excellent movie, with some really scary moments, and an interesting and slightly unique plot. I would highly recommend it.
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