In 1971, the Perron family moved into a small homestead in Rhode Island. Carolyn and Roger, along with their five daughters, could never have predicted the history their house came with or how it would change them. Early into living there, the daughters began seeing things. Visions of the dead and objects moving on their own seemed to plague their daily lives. Through sessions with famed investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, they came to believe that it was a woman named Bathsheba Sherman who plagued their property. The Warrens claimed that Bathsheba was a Satanist who had performed rituals involving the deaths of children.

And so this is the story that The Conjuring (2013) follows. Ed and Lorraine are tasked with fighting the evil spirit Bathsheba, who has inhabited Carolyn Perron’s body, with the goal of killing all five of her daughters and offering them to Satan. Without the help of the Catholic Church, this is extremely difficult and Ed Warren must perform the exorcism himself.

I have mixed feelings about this film and the series in general. While they are incredibly fun and entertaining, the fictional versions of the Warrens just don’t sit right with me. It paints them as these sort of Christian saviors who have the superpower of saving people from the Devil. In real life, the Warrens weren’t saviors. They had flaws, alongside plenty of controversies. They bought into the “Satanic Panic” hard, hosting talks at high schools about how Ouija Boards will ruin your life through the means of demonic possession. In terms of their work with the Perrons, there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that Bathsheba Sherman ever lived on their property or participated in Satanic practices. This isn’t to say that they didn’t do good. They opened up the paranormal field to more people, and genuinely helped many. However, their mistakes still stand, and that’s something never talked about in the films.

The Conjuring is, despite it all, an uplifting film. There’s romance, and a happy ending. Romance is one of the key elements of the films, showing Ed and Lorraine’s relationship, and that’s great. It provides a sense that everything will work out because of how strong their love is. There are scary elements, and parts that genuinely spooked me, but I appreciated a lack of gore. James Wan, director of the project, is the master of jumpscares. There are quite a few throughout, but it never becomes overwhelming or predictable.

My favorite part of this film is the music. “Time of the Season” by The Zombies is played when the Perrons first arrive at their new house. This sets the scene as being the 1970s and provides a nice atmosphere that makes you feel safe with both the family and the home. Later on in the film, when the Warrens and their crew are setting up paranormal equipment, “In the Room Where You Sleep” by Dead Man’s Bones plays. The tune sounds upbeat, akin to “Time of the Season”. However, the chorus being a repetition of “You better run” doesn’t bring the same sort of safe atmosphere. It seems to be a warning for the characters in what is about to happen in that house.

That being said, I’m interested in the new Conjuring film coming out on September 5th. The Conjuring: Last Rites promises to be the last in the series, and sets up “Ed and Lorraine’s last case.”