The Conjuring (2013) REVIEW

So with the sequel coming out this year, I thought I'd check this movie out as I have heard a lot of good things.
Set in the early 1970s, a big family of 5 daughters and their parents decide to move to a run down house in Rhode Island. The house not only needs work but may also be home to something...unnatural. As more and more things go bump in the night, the children are horrified. This finally prompts the mother Carolyn (Lilli Taylor) to contact famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) to get to the bottom of this. They soon discover something very unfriendly and evil is at work, and the only way they can fight this is to remove the spirit somehow before it takes over and causes irrevocable harm....
So firstly, this film is based on a 'true story' - and ultimately this tag will draw in an audience. However the Conjuring is not your run of the mill horror. It has many subtle moments, taking its time to amp up the horror beats with huge pay offs. The characters have a true authentic feel, particularly the Warrens who could easily have come off as kooky or frauds. This is thanks to excellent performances from Wilson and Farmiga, their chemistry is excellent. The film gives them a real grit and a believable back story, their room of collected objects is pure creepy.
The tension begins almost from the get go, however the previously mentioned quieter beats may be labelled by some as dull.
Of course too, their are some horror cliches - the generic pet being slaughtered moment or the 'it's behind you gasp.' The film gets away with these as it builds its craft, the moments feel earnt and will have your toes curling.
Having seen Annabelle before this, the Conjuring is far superior, the stakes seem even higher here (particularly one scene with the Warren's daughter) but together both make good companion pieces. The setting of the 70's adds a refreshing edge and removes a lot of familiarity that a run of the mill paranormal film aswell.
Overall a very decent horror that is one step ahead of the pack, don't watch this alone! 7.5/10