Supernatural Horror | Top 50 | 2016 | 🍿

"Honestly, I don't know what was worse, the demons or the people who prey on our willingness to believe them." "The demons are worse."

This is easily James Wan's most frightening supernatural horror, and it vies with Dead Silence for the best.

There is a reveal near the end of this film that horrified me when I first watched it and that I think had a perfect setup throughout. I think everyone who watched this will know what I mean (the one with the curtains). I admire that work as a writer. They did well here.

Between The Conjuring, Insidious, and this, for me this was the rewatch that worked. Insidious did too, and The Conjuring was just broken for me. I don't know why. No scares landed and I didn't really connect to the characters (at east until the family meal). I get the sense that most viewers think that this is the strongest as well.

The characters are immediately sympathetic and well written, and perhaps because there are fewer children, each stands out more as their own character. The stakes for the Warrens are raised in this film too, and the more threat of death one feels while watching a film like this the better, really. Jump scares are great when they are the culmination of a sense of doom or dread. This works here.

There are some badass moments with the possessed child and it's unfortunate she is hosting the villain because she would make a great protagonist with those powers. Nonetheless watching the mayhem is always enjoyable.

The existential threat for all parties is higher here and scares are better executed. That said, there are a few issues i continue to have with this series.

It feels very Christian to me, and that's okay for Christians, and I know the plot is they represent the church, but when combined with the sappy hallmark moments that substitute for good characterization—the writers are not good with positive moments, going entirely overboard with the music and the acting—it feels very focus-on-the-family American Christianity and that just does not and will never work for me.

The plot about leaving bothers me too; this stuff always happens in cinema and it is one of the dumber plot techniques. These are about my only issues with this film. Two issues is not very many and they are small ones.

With the darker tone and basically improvements across every relevant aspects of these films, I think this is one to recommend to basically everyone. It's James Wan peak supernatural horror, so if you only can tolerate one, make it this.

Personally, I love them. I just wish they could always bring dark plots and dial back the sappiness. That would help, and it's why I think Sinister still works better than these, although this is higher impact cinema. Those two problems aren't there.

Of the big budget Hollywood family friendly horror films, this is the one to watch. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

🍿 Popcorn Horror
Supernatural Horror | Top 50 | 2016
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💎 Slightly Hidden Horror Gems I 2012
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Naga | Entrance | Sinister I The Black Cat | Sacrifice | Black Christmas I Last Night in Soho| The Holdovers| The Autopsy of Jane Doe | Lux Æterna | Demonia | The Descent | Annihilation | Hereditary | Climax | Christmas Bloody Christmas | The Stylist