Critics Have A Lot Of Thoughts About The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
The third mainline movie in "The Conjuring" cinematic universe aka the Warrenverse is due to release in theaters and on HBO Max on June 4. Based on the early impressions of critics, fans of the franchise should expect to get possessed all over again.
"The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" sees Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson returning as Lorraine and Ed Warren to take on one of the most disturbing cases of their career. Based on a true story, the film sees the Warrens investigating the case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O'Connor), a young man who is on trial for the brutal murder of his landlord. While the facts of the case make it clear that Arne committed the crime, the young man claims possession by demons is what spurred him on to kill. When the Warrens begin to investigate Arne's claim they encounter a supernatural mystery deeper and more dangerous than anything they've dealt with before.
"The Conjuring" and "The Conjuring 2" were both lauded by critics for delivering engaging stories and genuinely terrifying scares. So, how does the third movie stack up? Critics' reactions have begun rolling in on Twitter and the early consensus seems to be, to quote a tweet by Shannon McGrew of Nightmarish Conjuring, "The Warren's are BACK, baby! Prepare yourself to go on one hell of a ride, and don't worry, there's no shortage of scares."
Here's what else critics are saying about "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It."
According to early reactions, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It should satisfy fans of the franchise
By and large, critics who are offering up their early Twitter takes on "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" are praising the film for clearing the high bar set by its predecessors. Entertainment journalist Jenna Busch called the movie "a fantastic next chapter in the franchise" and said, "It's got so much heart and a love story at its core."
Variety's Jenelle Riley tweeted, "I am a sucker for the CONJURING movies and 3 is no exception. I love everything, from Vera Farmiga's 80s collars, to Patrick Wilson's dreamy affection for his wife, to every Easter Egg ... Thrilled they keep the quality so high." Meanwhile, Erik Davis of Fandango praised the film as being "freakishly demonic & bone-chilling in all the right spots ..."
Just because the movie is being positively compared to the previous installments doesn't mean it's a retread of what came before it. Writer Drew Taylor tweeted, "Was a huge fan of THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT, a film that wisely deviates from the haunted house formula for maximum spooky fun." Similarly, Chris Evangelista of Slash Film noted that the movie "changes up the established formula a bit, but the series remains what I like to call 'spooktacular.'"
The early reactions weren't without criticism, though. While they wrote that the film "has a few spooky sequences," critic Courtney Howard ultimately concluded, "I loved the first two chapters, and admire some of the bigger swings this one takes in remaining true to the universe. It just didn't crawl under the skin in the ways the others have."
You'll have your own chance to investigate these critics' claims when "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on June 4.