Horror Movie Review: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

“I am not going before a grand jury and saying he was possessed by demons.”

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (also known as The Conjuring 3) is a 2021 American supernatural horror film directed by Michael Chaves, with a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick from a story by Johnson-McGoldrick and James Wan. The film serves as a sequel to The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016), and as the eighth installment in the Conjuring Universe.

In 1981, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren document the exorcism of 8-year-old David Glatzel, attended by his family, his sister Debbie, her boyfriend Arne Johnson, and Father Gordon in the town of Brookfield, Connecticut. During the exorcism, Arne invites the demon to enter his body instead of David’s. Ed witnesses the demon transport itself from David’s body to Arne’s whilst he suffers from a heart attack. He is taken to a hospital in a comatose state.

The following month, Ed wakes up at the hospital and reveals to Lorraine that he witnessed the demon enter Arne’s body. She sends the police to the kennel where Debbie and Arne’s apartment is and where Debbie works. She warns them that a tragedy will occur there. Arne and Debbie return to their apartment. After feeling unwell, Arne murders his landlord, Bruno Sauls, under the influence of demonic possession by stabbing him 22 times.

With the support of the Warrens, his case becomes the first American murder trial to claim demonic possession as a defense. This results in the beginning of an investigation into David’s original possession. The Warrens later discover a satanic curse passed on through a witch’s totem, and meet with Kastner, a former priest who previously dealt with the Disciples of the Ram cult. He tells them that an occultist had intentionally left the totem, resulting in the creation of a curse on the Glatzels, causing the possession of David.

Can Ed and Lorraine stop anymore innocents from being harmed? Watch and find out.

For starters, the trailers gave way too much of this movie away… but I digress. The Conjuring 3 had a solid basic concept, a good opening and Ed and Lorraine are likeable characters. So, what went wrong? Although they have a good concept, they just don’t do anything with it. The witch isn’t very scary or memorable and she has no development as a character. The scares just don’t hit right, they’re very cheap and easy to see coming. And on top of that, the ending is one of my least favourites next to the good ghost trope. The power of love defeats all, give me the sick bucket.

Patrick Wilson is so loveable as Ed, its feel criminal to not enjoy a film with him in it. Whereas Vera Farmiga is also nice, she definitely needs to find another facial expression. She is constantly still so terrified and bug eyed, it’s a bit over the top considering how much she’s experienced.

The Conjuring 3 is well acted and the fleeting shots of gore are done well. But, unfortunately as usual in modern films, there is some poor CGI that doesn’t even hold up now, let alone in the years to come.

Lastly, I did find it fascinating when they illustrated the fact that in America you swear on the Bible and under God in a court of law, but no one ever says “The Devil made me do it”. Although, I don’t believe anything about the Warrens is truthful in any way, I just found that part very interesting.

Overall, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is a boring, run of the mill first date movie. Not too scary, not any real plot, with a romantic subplot to warm the heart.