Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It: What Fans Are Saying About The Horror Threequel
After five years in the dark, Ed and Lorraine Warren are back on the big screen for another Conjuring movie, and a ton of horror fans have been tuning in. The latest installment in the Warner Bros universe James Wan began back in 2013 explores the true story of a 1981 exorcism and the first American murder trial to claim demonic possession as a defense. So what did the fans think of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It?
Before we get into the social media reactions of the people who have been watching it in theaters and on HBO Max across the past week, it should be noted that critics were mixed overall about The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg called the film a “middle-of-the-pack” entry into the horror franchise. Now let’s get into what fans are talking about the most regarding the new release.
Fans Were Caught Up In The Warren’s Love Story
For starters, it sounds like a ton of fans were just happy to be back in the world that started with The Conjuring’s Ed and Lorraine Warren. Despite the story itself not being as chilling as the first two movies directed by James Wan, people really held onto the relationship at the core of the franchise played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson:
The American paranormal investigators are based on a real couple, and they once again prove to be the strongest link through the Conjuring trilogy with The Devil Made Me Do It. In the movie, Ed and Lorraine share some adorable sequences together that showcase their love story, which even has some fans taking notes:
Watching the couple’s shared chemistry and shared love for one another really struck a chord with fans of the franchise. One fan even felt like the romance element of the movie overshadowed the horror of it all. It goes to show how important good casting is. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga really sell the Warren’s story with their performances, and no matter what, some fans are solely hooked as long as they are the stars:
Ok, ok… but what about the scares! Did audiences make it through it?
Conjuring 3 Just Wasn’t Scary Enough For Many Fans
The first two Conjuring films were always going to be a tough act to follow. Both films were incredibly scary and unforgettably so. When it came to The Devil Made Me Do It, fans of the franchise were disappointed by how tame it was when it came to the scare factor. Much of it acts as more of a mystery thriller than anything else, as the Warrens track down clues during the investigation into the haunted house.
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You certainly won’t leave the film without being exposed to the demonic possession, satanic curses and creepy moments with the Warrens. Even so, quite a number of people cited being pretty unamused or not scared enough by the events that take place throughout the film:
To each their own obviously. What may scare me may not scare you, but as a whole, it seems pretty clear that in the scope of Conjuring movies, audiences have seen some more terrifying stuff:
The Conjuring 3 attempted to tackle something new with its vision, and it didn’t rub everyone the right way, but some fans were definitely still freaked out by the summer release.
Screams Were Still Had During The Devil Made Me Do It
Now either the people above were lying or there’s a huge split regarding Conjuring 3 being scary enough. Some fans started the movie at home and just couldn’t take the suspense. One fan admitted to turning it off out of fear about where it was going:
Hey, if it got you, good! That’s why we step into horror movies, isn’t it? Lots of other fans shared their real time reactions to the flick, one sharing all the screaming they went through because of it:
I know, talk about some whiplash over here from Conjuring fans, but it goes to show that even if it wasn’t scary enough, it still earned its stripes in the horror genre. It’s definitely a bit more muted and mysterious than the previous chapters, but it even kept some people up the night they watched it:
Hey, so if you haven’t seen it yet, this is your fair warning to maybe not press play too late in the evening. Perhaps bring a friend/date when you go out to see it or keep a comfy critter by your side.
The End Credit Footage Freaked Everyone Out
While the scariness of the movie overall is debatable, one element of The Conjuring 3 that was definitely terrifying was the end credits. When the credits roll after the actual movie, an audio recording from the true events the movie is based on is on full display. Audiences can hear people talking to a demon, demanding that it leave their young son alone. Fans are making sure people know about the chilling movie highlight:
During the recording, you can also hear the boy who was apparently under demonic possession laughing maniacally and talking in a creepy deep voice. We’re used to seeing exorcisms play out in movies, but an actual recording is super unsettling. As one fan said:
Those who were not exactly moved by the content of the movie were definitely shaking in their boots over the audio footage, and it redeemed the scare factor for them. An element such as this could be disappointing when you’re indifferent about the events of the film, but then the end credits freak you out the most. Perhaps they should have drew more from the events and/or hit us with that clip earlier:
Lots of discourse around The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It this past week! Where do you stand regarding the movie? Vote in our poll below and check out what other movies are next this summer with CinemaBlend’s 2021 movie release schedule.
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Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.