Right from the first movie, James Wan had bigger plans for The Conjuring universe than just a straightforward series of horror movies.
The Conjuring spawned the Annabelle franchise and then The Conjuring 2 saw the series go into full MCU mode, including several different baddies intended for future spin-offs (although so far we've only had The Nun). We've even had a surprise Conjuring universe movie in The Curse of La Llorona, thanks to an unexpected crossover character.
It's easy to forget that the basis of the series was in the real-life experiences of demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. The third movie in the 'main' series, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, however, takes it back to basics – and it proves to be a terrifying fresh direction.
Gone (mostly) are the nods to previous movies and any set-up for future ones, with the movie solely focusing on the darkest case of the Warrens' career: the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson.
Back in 1981, Johnson killed his landlord and when it came to the trial, he claimed demonic possession as a defence to his actions. It was believed the demon came from a previous exorcism of David Glatzel, the younger brother of Johnson's girlfriend Debbie, where both he and the Warrens were in attendance.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It's intense opening will terrify you whether you believe in demons or not. It centres on the exorcism of David Glatzel and sees director Michael Chaves unashamedly lean into The Exorcist, right down to the arrival of the priest, and it'll satisfy any horror fan.
With some impressive practical effects, it's a breathless start and hints that this isn't a typical Conjuring movie as the Warrens don't succeed. The effects of that failure see Johnson (played by Ruairi O'Connor) plagued by the same demon that had a hold on David Glatzel, eventually leading to Johnson fatally stabbing his landlord.
It's here when the Warrens got back involved (both in real life and in the movie), but The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It doesn't become a courtroom drama. In real life, the defence was thrown out fairly quickly, which doesn't leave much of a movie. Chaves and writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick instead turn the movie into CSI: Conjuring as the Warrens investigate the apparent possession of Johnson.
As in the previous Conjuring movies, the plot sets up the scares and also delves into the relationship between Ed and Lorraine Warren. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are terrific, unsurprisingly, and it's pleasing that the third movie sees Farmiga take on a more central role. If it's not quite a "love story" as Farmiga says, there are still some sweet moments between the two that add to the heightened emotion of the finale.
What's impressive is that we know both of them are going to be OK, yet their committed performances mean we're always nervous. Chaves puts them in some brilliantly-crafted set pieces, including an unforgettable morgue sequence, that test the pair to their limits and they never fail. Horror performances aren't recognised enough, and Wilson and Farmiga deserve every plaudit going.
While their investigation is mostly fictional, it does show some fascinating insight into how the Warrens started to work more with police on these kinds of cases. It brings a new angle to the series as we're not seeing the Warrens investigate a haunting house as it happens, while Chaves also adds moments of levity that we're just not used to seeing in this series.
Chaves is clearly a horror fan too and doesn't forget to keep the scares coming at a regular pace, even when Lorraine Warren is busy being a paranormal detective. There are nods to several horror classics and rather than feeling like a rip-off, they feel like a loving homage and add an extra level to the set pieces that will leave you peering into every shadow.
If you're being especially critical, you might also take umbrage with the movie using a real-life case of murder as the jumping point for a fictional horror tale, one that has no nuance in terms of what happened to Johnson. This movie, as the others have in the series, treats demons as very real, because that's how the Warrens viewed it and the Conjuring series is their story.
That's unlikely to bother fans of the series though as it's what they expect, although The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It still brings them something new too. You might not believe that the devil made him do it, but you will be terrified.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is out now in cinemas and is also available to watch on HBO Max in the US.
Warner Bros The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 [DVD]
Warner Bros The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It [Blu-ray] [2021] [Region Free]
Warner Bros The Nun [DVD] [2018]
Warner Bros Annabelle Comes Home [Blu-ray] [Region Free]
Warner Bros The Curse of La Llorona, [DVD]
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Ian Sandwell
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
