The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided us with a free copy of this Blu-ray/DVD that we reviewed in this blog post. The opinions we share are our own.

“Based on a chilling true story: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren risk their lives to prove the innocence of the accused and the existence of evil forces in the first U.S. murder trial where demonic possession is being used as a legal defense.”

There’s no doubt that James Wan’s influence on the horror genre has had a lasting impact ever since his first major feature film, Saw, with Insidious and The Conjuring following a few short years after. His unique style knows exactly how to direct the audience eye, not rely on cheap gimmicks and jump scares, but present things that are truly horrifying to witness. The universe building he employs in his films have become the new norm, with a wealth of stories in the Warren case files to borrow from to keep the ‘true story’ mentality alive with each incarnation.

The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It is derived from one of these case files that was considered one of the darkest the Warrens were involved in. The original case of Arne Johnson differs slightly from the film, but the murder and the defense of having a demon or demons inside of him that made him commit the murder is the backbone of the story. Whether you believe the true account of what happened, or believe the Warrens are complete fakes who, according to the children of the family, claim the Warrens told them they’d be millionaires from the story. Regardless, it’s assumed the majority of the film is made to serve for entertainment value and fit the narrative structure of a story, and it does. With the opening exorcism of David Glatzel (Julian Hillard) being a very effective story opener as we’re immediately dropped in to another case of Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga).

While you may think you’re getting into a supernatural based courtroom drama because of the plot of the story and the media coverage of the event of the time, much like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, we don’t get that, instead, a mystery unravels before us that takes the Warrens on several adventures researching the cause of this curse that has targeted David Glatzel and now, Arne Johnson (Ruari O’Connor). One of the fictional elements to The Conjuring films that I enjoy most is the relationship between Ed and Lorraine, especially the moments when Lorraine loses parts of herself while using her gifts for good. In the films, the characters are truly selfless, wanting nothing more than to help people fight the evil that they know exists. These battles take their tolls, with Ed suffering from heart problems, and Lorraine susceptible to becoming caught up in the visions she has. These flaws in the characters ground them, and although they really don’t go through much of a change in the films, them overcoming these flaws and obstacles still makes for an entertaining story.

Because of the heavy fictionalized portions of the story, attention isn’t paid all that much to Arne Johnson after the murder. Although they fear the demon is still inside of him while he’s being held in prison, the film is more about the source of the demon, which in turn gives us an antagonist to root against. While I enjoy the Ed and Lorraine portion of the story, the Arne Johnson B-Story is quickly set aside and barely touched upon for the majority of the film after the first act. Things begin to feel a bit convoluted toward the ending, especially with the John Noble storyline, and because of the mystery of the person behind the curse, the audience isn’t given hardly any time to see or develop any feelings toward that character in the dark, clumsy, but entertaining finale.

Video

The film is presented in 1080p High-Definition Widescreen 2.39:1. The Blu-ray contains a very good looking transfer, free from any noticeable defects or issues. The majority of the film is very dark, with sparsely lit sequences. Color comes through very vibrantly despite this, and despite the 80’s color palate of muted beiges and yellows. This film also has a 4k release, which given the dark nature of the film, I’d recommend viewing to get those deep darks that the UHD does so well.

Audio

The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos, which sounds phenomenal. The track is clear and concise, with a good balance from the surrounds and center channel. The surrounds are used quite effectively at creating a creepy atmosphere, as you can tell from the opening sequence when literally hell breaks loose, flying debris and demonic moans will immerse you in the action. The film also has a great soundtrack and score, featuring some great songs from the time period.

Special Features

The disc is rounded out by some great extras, including a 30-Day comic subscription to the DC Universe Infinite.

• By Reason of Demonic Possession – An in-depth look at the true story that inspired the movie
• The Occultist – Meet the terrifying new addition to the Conjuring Universe
• Exorcism of Fear – Delve into the making of the movie and the chilling exorcism scene that opens the film
• DC Horror Presents: The Conjuring: The Lover #1 – A video comic that goes deeper into the Conjuring Universe

As much as I enjoy James Wan’s The Conjuring universe, I can’t help but get confused with his Insidious universe as well. It was an odd choice to have both feature Patrick Wilson, which is about 100% of the cause of the confusion at times, and if they are going to continue with both franchises, they need to lead the stories away from being so similar. Despite this, I have a blast watching both franchises, and although The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It has its flaws, it also has some very effective moments that make it enjoyable