The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It [REVIEW]

The Conjuring:  The Devil Made Me Do It is the latest installment into The Conjuring series.  It is the first Conjuring movie not directed by James Wan. The film was initially scheduled for release on September 11, 2020, but was pushed back due to COVID-19.  Warner Bros. released the movie simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.

The Conjuring franchise follows the case files of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.  The first film in the franchise (not to be confused with The Conjuring Universe), The Conjuring (2013), detailed the 1971 Perron family case, which was a haunting at their farmhouse in Rhode Island.  The second film, The Conjuring 2 (2016), documents the Warren’s investigation into the Enfield poltergeist in London.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It follows the Warren’s involvement in the exorcism of an 8-year-old boy and the possession of Arne Johnson. In 1981, Ed and Lorraine Warren recorded the exorcism of David Glatzel.  During the exorcism, Arne Johnson confronted the demon which possessed him.  The demon caused him to murder his landlord, Alan Bono. While on trial, Arne attempted to plead not guilty by reason of demon possession.

The film opens up with the exorcism of David Glatzel.  I like this action because, typically, you have to wait until the end of a movie to get a full-blown exorcism. I wasn’t a fan of the weird CGI contortion of the possessed.  It clearly looked like CGI and wasn’t convincing or scary at all.

Also, I was not too fond of the filmmaker’s attempted nod to The Exorcist.  My advice to filmmakers is don’t try to copy The Exorcist priest arriving shot. Just don’t. I get that if you want to pay homage to The Exorcist but try something new.

I expected the movie to be more of a courtroom drama, but it isn’t.  The film spends more time following the Warrens than in the courtroom, which I like.

If you are a fan of The Conjuring franchise, I think you will enjoy the film.  If you hate the other Conjuring movies, I don’t think this will win you over.

Overall, the film is worth a watch, especially since it is streaming on HBO Max. I appreciate Warner Bros. giving movie fans the option of watching the movie at home. This capability is one of the only reasons I subscribe to HBO Max.

You can hear the Warrens talk about the real-life case in the video below. Leave a comment and let us know what you think of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It: