More Than a Bump In The Night: The Conjuring As a Human Horror Story

 

In 2013 James Wan, who gained massive popularity for his 'Saw' franchise, took on a new challenge, breathing new life into the supernatural horror genre. With this, he created a practical effects-driven film rooted in real stories of a married couple helping those in spiritual trouble. The gamble Wan took paid off and created a paranormal story rivalled only to me by The Excorcist, the film is The Conjuring. 

Centred around a large family who purchases a New England farmhouse in the late 1960s, The Conjuring slowly reveals that the history of the house is more menacing than anyone could have imagined, and it wants the children who now live there. The parts of this film that make it so great are its use of practical effects versus CGI, its truly terrifying villain, and the true human story, both from the family and those sent to protect them. 

I cannot state enough how effective the scares are in this film are and this is due to the use of practical effects. The makeup, camera work, and use of real environments give truly terrifying results the kind that (as I experienced) keep you up with a light on for nights after viewing.