The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

Directed by Michael Chaves, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It follows the Warrens (Patrick Wilson’s Ed and Vera Farmiga’s Lorraine) as they investigate a murder that may or may not be linked to demonic possession. Filmmaker Chaves, working from David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick’s screenplay, does an absolutely fantastic job of immediately drawing the viewer into the proceedings, as The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It kicks off with an almost astonishingly gripping and visceral exorcism sequence that rivals anything within the series in terms of entertainment and excitement – with the movie, beyond that point, progressing into a predictably hit-and-miss midsection that nevertheless boasts its fair share of compelling interludes. (This is certainly true of a suspenseful stretch that finds Ed and Lorraine venturing into the woods to find a dead body.) And although both Wilson and Farmiga are as solid as ever here, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It suffers from a fairly tedious and padded-out third act that ensures it runs out of steam long before arriving at its lackluster climax – which does, in the end, cement the picture’s place as a distressingly erratic endeavor that ultimately falls right in line with its less-than-flawless predecessors. (It’s such a shame, too, given the tremendously promising nature of that balls-to-the-wall opening.)

**1/2 out of ****