Movie · 2013 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 52m · R · English
Curator score: 5.8/10 (2.3M ratings)
Based on the true case files of the Warrens.
Overview
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.8/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Letterboxd: 3.61/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Metacritic: 68
TMDB: 7.5/10
Director
James Wan
Production
Evergreen Media Group, The Safran Company, New Line Cinema
Cast
Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Hayley McFarland, Sterling Jerins, Shanley Caswell, Mackenzie Foy, Joey King, Kyla Deaver, Shannon Kook, John Brotherton, Marion Guyot, Morganna Bridgers, Amy Tipton, Kymoura Kennedy, Sean Flynn, Ashley White, Zach Pappas, Arnell Powell
Where to watch
Max
Curator Review
Verdict
A polished, crowd-pleasing haunted-house thriller with strong atmosphere, clean scares, and a surprisingly sturdy emotional core. It’s less about extreme gore than about dread, family panic, and the reassuring chemistry of its central investigators.
Best for
Viewers who like mainstream supernatural horror with big set pieces
Fans of haunted-house stories built on escalating dread
People who enjoy horror with a sincere, old-school exorcism vibe
Audiences who want strong production design and efficient pacing
Skip if
You want experimental, ultra-bleak, or extremely graphic horror
You prefer slow-burn art-horror over polished studio scares
You’re tired of possession and haunted-house formulas
You want horror that leans more into comedy than tension
Overview
The Conjuring is one of the defining studio horror hits of the 2010s because it understands the basics so well: a family in distress, a house that feels cursed, and a filmmaker who knows exactly when to hold back and when to slam the door. James Wan stages the film with a classical confidence that makes even familiar beats feel sharp again.
Worth noting
What gives it extra lift is the emotional framing. The Warrens are presented less as mere ghost hunters than as a steadying force, and that gives the movie a warmer center than many possession stories. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson bring enough sincerity to make the investigation feel grounded, which in turn makes the scares land harder.
Bottom line
It’s not reinventing the haunted-house movie, and some viewers will find its mythology a little tidy. But as a piece of commercial horror craft, it’s exceptionally efficient: moody, tense, and built around memorable images that stick long after the credits. If you want a modern mainstream ghost story done with discipline, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
p e r s i a 🍒 (3.5★) · 10417 likes
i’m just saying......if ed and lorraine warren asked me to be in a throuple with them................i wouldn’t say no........
•lily• (3.5★) · 9074 likes
How was Joey King better at acting when she was 13 than she is now 😭😭
Karsten (3.5★) · 7914 likes
This is a movie about sideburns
danica (4.5★) · 7582 likes
the moral of the story is that if you move to a new house and your dog is scared and refuses to walk inside, it’s time to find another new house