Review: 'The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It' Is a Cat and Mouse Game More Than it is a Horror Movie

Warning: Spoilers!

The third installment in The Conjuring franchise, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, hit HBO Max and theaters just a few weeks ago. The film was directed by Michael Chavez (The Curse of la Llorona) and stars Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga and Ruairi O’ Connor.

This time around we follow Ed and Lorraine Warren (Wilson and Farmiga) as they help uncover the reason a seemingly normal young man, Arne Johnson (O’Connor), committed a horrible murder. Along the way they uncover a sinister plot that leads them on their most dangerous chase yet. Based on the true life case, the film explores the world of satanists, the occult and Lorraine’s clairvoyant abilities.

Now there are lots of references to other films and some from the shared Conjuring universe. I have to note the ease in which they bring back the original actress who plays Ed and Lorraine’s daughter, Judy Warren, played by actress Sterling Jerins.

This is covered cooly by a simple line from Father Gordon (Steve Coulter), who has also been a staple in the franchise, saying how good it is to see Judy again. She was never actually replaced, but the part of Judy was helmed by Mckenna Grace for Annabelle Comes Home which took viewers further back in the Warren’s timeline.

Director Michael Chaves seems to understand that it’s hard to have an exorcism in a horror film without referencing the film that started it all, The Exorcist (1979). The film opens with a scene very close to that of Father Merrin arriving to help save young Regan from the clutches of a demon.

The Devil Made Me Do It begins with the failed exorcism of David Glatzel played by Julian Hilliard (The Haunting of Hill House, WandaVision). While the CGI of the possessed child felt a bit over the top, Hilliard, was very convincing with his guttural hissing and screaming. After David’s exorcism fails, Arne becomes the object of the possession, which results in the murder of a friend. Thus setting the Warrens up to help with his defense, which is not guilty by demonic possession.

As they search for clues they discover that the culprit is actually a satanist who is attempting to carry out a dark ritual that has caused other deaths. It’s here where the film begins to feel out of step with the rest of the franchise. Usually viewers are in for a good haunted house, or ghost story, but here we find exactly who is responsible for the supernatural occurrences. The film did give us a final battle with the Warrens saving the day, but in the end we didn’t get a spooky ghost story. But instead an investigation drama framed around the occult. Which gave me the feeling of the old school Unsolved Mysteries ghost stories.

This theme is further pulled into the story when the Warren’s enlist the help of a retired priest Father Kastner (John Noble). Who investigated occultists for the church and has a similar vault of dangerous artifacts, much like the Warren’s own collection. Honestly, I wanted more back story on the occult vault and the items within it. But that could just be me.

The Devil Made Me Do It has everything that the other Conjuring films have: the occult, ghostly apparitions, and religious battles are all present. However, the investigation and cat-and-mouse aspects of the film that makes this installment feel out of place with the other films.

I think I would have enjoyed this more if the story had stuck to the possession or demonic aspect. While I can fully enjoy the fantasy of these films, attempting to dramatize a true story and framing it around an actual court case limited the audience’s ability, or maybe just my ability, to willingly suspend disbelief. 3/5

★★★

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is now playing in theaters and streaming on HBOMax. Check out the trailer below and as always stay tuned to ScaryNerd for more of all things horror, sci-fi and more.