Showing posts with label horror movie. Show all posts

BASED ON A TRUE STORY: THE AMITYVILLE HORROR

Last week, I made a post that delved into the supposedly true story upon which my favourite horror film The Exorcism of Emily Rose claims to be based. It seems only fitting, then that this week I should make one looking at the events behind the horror movie that fights Emily Rose for the top spot - demonic-thriller classic The Amityville Horror. 

The Amityville Horror (1979)

For those of you who don't know, The Amityville Horror is a 1979 horror film based on a book of the same name published only two years prior. It follows the young Lutz family - George and Kathy, and Kathy's children from a previous marriage - who purchase a house in Amityville, New York a year after the previous occupants, the DeFeo family, were murdered by one of their own; the family's eldest son, Ronald Jr. The Lutzes last only 28 days living in the house before they're driven out by powerful paranormal forces which seem set on causing only harm. 

The Amityville Horror is probably one of the most iconic films of the 'based on a true story' persuasion. And that's because... well, it is. Or, at least it seems to be on the surface. Certainly, the Lutz family exist and they did move into the now iconic home at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, where they stayed for only 28 days. And, tragically, the murders that preceded their move-in by a year were all too real. 

Ronald DeFeo Jr's mugshot
Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr - known to friends and family as 'Butch' - was just 23 years old on 13th November 1974 when, at approximately 6:30PM, he stumbled into Henry's Bar in Amityville, New York. Seemingly distressed, DeFeo made an unsettling plea the patrons the bar that evening: "You gotta help me! I think my mother and father are shot!" 

A small party of people accompanied DeFeo back to his family home at 112 Ocean Drive, where his suspicions were confirmed - his parents, Ronald Sr (44) and Louise (42) were shot dead in their bed. Upon arrival of police, however, an even more sickening discovery was made - the rest of the DeFeo family were also murdered. Dawn (18), Allison (13), Marc (12) and John-Matthew (9) had all suffered a single fatal gun shot, whereas Ronald Sr and Louise were each shot twice. Each victim lay face-down in their own bed, and evidence suggested that Louise and Allison had each been awake at the time of their murders, and that all of them had taken place at around 3AM that morning. 

DeFeo was originally taken into police custody for his own protection, as he stated that he believed his family had been the victims of professional hitman Louis Falini. However, after inconsistencies began to appear in DeFeo's story and Falini provided an alibi which proved beyond all reasonable doubt that he wasn't even in New York state at the time of the murders, police grew suspicious. The next day, DeFeo confessed to murders, claiming that he did so after he heard their voices plotting against him. He plead not guilty by way of insanity, however the prosecution claimed that DeFeo was lucid at the time of the murders, though they believed he suffered from Antisocial Personality Disorder. On 17th November 1975, DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to twenty five years to life in prison for each murder. He is currently imprisoned at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York and every appeal he has made to the parole board thus far has been denied. He is now sixty seven years old. 

The Lutz family, whose patriarch, George, was noted to bear a
strong resemblance to Butch DeFeo
Just a month after DeFeo's conviction, thirteen months after the murders, George and Kathy Lutz purchased  the 5 bed, 3.5 bath home at 112 Ocean Drive for just $80,000 (approx. $375,000 today). The price was reduced due to the murders - of which the Lutzes were made aware. They would move out just a month later, each taking with them only three changes of clothing. 

Almost from the moment of moving into the house, the Lutzes - particularly George - reported feeling strong, negative paranormal forces at play. They claimed to hear strange sounds - including George reporting a phantom brass band that would march through the house - and that locked doors and windows would swing open and closed, as if by a pair of invisible hands. They called in a priest - Father Ralph Pecararo - to bless the house, only for him to be commanded by a disembodied voice to "get out", and develop stigmatic blisters on his hands.  

George Lutz claimed he would wake up at 3:15AM every day -
the same approximate time the murders are believed to have occurred.
The family also reported strange, unpleasant smells, for which there was no conceivable source, swarms of flies despite the frigid winter weather and green slime oozing from the walls. George purportedly woke at 3:15AM every one of the 28 days the family lived in the house - the same approximate time that DeFeo is believed to have carried out the murders. It was also noted by many, including George himself, that he bore a strong resemblance to Butch DeFeo and he even inadvertently began drinking in The Witch's Brew, a bar at which DeFeo had once been a regular patron. Kathy claimed to have vivid nightmares about the murders, including the order in which they took place - a fact she did not know prior to moving into the house. Perhaps most chilling of all the apparently paranormal activity in the house is the presence of 'Jodie', an entity with the head of a pig whose eyes glowed red, and Melissa - Kathy's young daughter - befriended. George claims to have seen Jodie standing behind Melissa in her bedroom window whilst in the yard one evening, and Kathy reportedly saw a pair of glowing red eyes in the darkness when she closed Melissa's window (which Melissa claimed Jodie had climbed out of) one night. 

Eventually in January of 1976, only one month after moving into what was supposed to be their dream home, the Lutz family fled in the middle of the night, taking only three changes of clothes each. Their leaving shortly followed a second failed attempt at blessing the house, though the exact events of their final night remain a mystery. Regardless, their ordeal had garnered them international attention; by 1977, author Jay Anson had published The Amityville Horror, a book apparently depicting the events they endured, which would go on to be a huge commercial success. The case even drew the attention of Ed and Lorraine Warren, world-famous demonologists, who conducted a seance and paranormal investigation at the home on New York's Channel 5 in February of 1976. It was during this investigation that the now-famous 'Demon Boy' photo was taken depicting a small child (who is said to closely resemble John-Matthew DeFeo) peering around a door frame in the empty house. 

The infamous 'Demon Boy' picture was taken by Ed Warren, who claimed
the house was empty and no child was present at the time of the photograph's capture.
So it seems like that should be case closed, right? A family was tormented by the evil spirits that pushed a young man to murder his entire family and were driven out of their home by it. Classic demonic haunting case, right? 

Now, what if I were to tell you it may have been a hoax? 

Since the publication of Anson's book and the release of some sixteen movies about the ordeal, many have called into question the validity of George Lutz's story, with some - including his own stepson - outright claiming that he grossly exaggerated the events that occurred in the house, perhaps even lying about the whole thing, in a shameless attempt to capitalise on the tragic story of a family's murder. 

Allegations of George Lutz being less-than-truthful actually go back to DeFeo; though he initially claimed to have heard voices telling him to commit the murders, he has since changed his story several times over the years. At times he has even gone so far as to revert back to denying his guilt completely, claiming he was in New Jersey at the time of the killings. In short, DeFeo is, at best, unreliable and whether or not he heard the voices Lutz claimed to also hear is questionable. 

Further, several people who were allegedly involved in the ordeal either claim the events didn't happen as Lutz recalls them, or deny them completely. Notably, Father Pecararo, the priest who the Lutzes called in to bless the house initially, claimed to have experienced no paranormal activity whatsoever in the home - no disembodied voice and certainly no stigmatic blistering. Even Christopher Quaratino, Kathy Lutz's son and George's stepson, claims that the events in Anson's book were exaggerated, with some being made up completely. In a 2005 interview with the Seattle Times, Quaratino denied that the haunting was altogether a hoax, claiming he remembers seeing shadowy figures and hearing locked windows open and close, but denies that the walls oozed slime or that there was any pig-like entity in the home. He referred to his stepfather as a 'professional showman' who had dabbled in the occult and brought the haunting upon himself. 

Perhaps the most damning evidence for the haunting being, at best, hyperbolised for monetary gain and, at worst, an outright hoax is the confessions of William Weber. Weber was the family's lawyer and also, interestingly, had defended Butch DeFeo during his murder trial. Following a dispute with George Lutz over money, Weber confessed in 1979 that he, George and Kathy had fabricated the entire haunting 'over several bottles of wine'. The Lutzes were motivated by money, Weber by his desire to get a re-trial for DeFeo, aiming for a 'Devil made him do it' approach. 

Anson's book claims to be 'A True Story':
however, lawyer William Weber claims he and the
Lutzes fabricated the story.


Similarly, Dr Stephen Kaplan of the Parapsychology Institute of America had his suspicions that the ordeal was entirely fabricated, after he received a phone call from George Lutz in 1976 requesting an investigation from his team. When Kaplan asked Lutz questions about the nature of the haunting, he received vague and unconvincing answers, and when he informed Lutz that there would be no fee but the public would be made aware of if the story was a hoax, Lutz cancelled the investigation, claiming he didn't want any publicity around the family - perhaps why Kaplan was so shocked to see the Warrens's seance broadcast of channel 5. In addition, Kaplan discovered, with the help of a columnist at the local paper, that the Lutzes had returned to the 'hell house' just one day after they fled in the middle of the night to hold a garage sale, and that movers who went to retrieve the Lutz's belongings reported no sign of paranormal activity in the house. Kaplan published a book titled The Amityville Horror Conspiracy shortly before his untimely death in 1995, in which he maps out his overwhelming evidence against the Lutz's and Warrens's claims that the house was definitively haunted. 

So what do you think, my lovely, spooky reader? Do you believe that George Lutz is telling the truth and that naysayers do so just to spite him? Or do you think that he created the story in order to make a quick buck on the tragic murders of the DeFeo family? Let me know! 

Special thanks to the following sources where I did my research: 

Keep it weird, 
Jazz xo
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BASED ON A TRUE STORY: THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE

It's not at all uncommon for horror movies to claim they were based on actual events. Particularly in the last 20 or so years, the tagline 'based on a true story' seems to have become a really popular marketing ploy. I often find myself questioning with these movies, however, exactly how accurately they really portray the events upon which they claim to be based - and I'm sure you do too. That's why I've taken it upon myself to research into what really happened to inspire these films, and whether or not they can accurately make the claim to be 'based on true events'. And what better place to start than with my own favourite film - 2005 demonic possession flick The Exorcism of Emily Rose. A couple of words of warning - this post, as with the others in this series, will likely contain spoilers to some extent, so proceed at your own risk. This post in particular also contains some disturbing images and links to disturbing audio involving death and apparent demonic possession. Please be aware if you are sensitive to such material that you ought to continue reading with caution.

To give a rundown of the film, The Exorcism of Emily Rose follows a court case surrounding the death of a young woman - the eponymous Emily Rose. Emily has passed away from a combination of self-inflicted wounds and malnutrition following a series of Catholic exorcisms, and the jury is left to decide whether or not Emily was ever really possessed or whether she was severely mentally ill and in need of psychiatric care with which she was not sufficiently provided. 

The film claims to be based on the true story of Anna Elisabeth "Anneliese" Michel, a young German woman who similarly passed away following a series of exorcisms. 


Anneliese Michel, shortly before her apparent demonic possession began.

Anneliese was born in Bavaria, West Germany to a Roman Catholic family on 21st September 1952. She, along with her three sisters and her parents, Josef and Anna, would attend Mass twice a week. While she was the oldest of Josef and Anna's children together, she was not Anna's first child. Before marrying Josef, she had an illegitimate daughter named Martha, who passed away during surgery. In order to atone for her mother's perceived sin, Anneliese was pushed to devote herself to God, a role she took to with enthusiasm, and not only for her mother - throughout her teenage years, Anneliese would often sleep on the family home's cold stone floor in order to atone for drug addicts and other wayward youth.

Aged sixteen, Anneliese suffered what would be the first of many episodes of losing consciousness, blacking out during school and wandering around in what friends and family would later describe as a 'trance-like' state. Michel claimed to remember nothing of the event, but reported later that night she felt pinned to her own bed by an invisible force on her chest. 

Diagram highlighting the area affected by temporal lobe epilepsy


Eleven months later, Anneliese experienced a similar episode, during which she entered a similar 'trance-like' state, convulsed and wet the bed. After this second occurence, her mother Anna took her to be evaluated by both the family doctor and a neurologist, who diagnosed her with temporal lobe epilepsy, a neurological disorder which can cause epileptic psychosis, which is categorised by memory loss and hallucinations, both auditory and visual. Perhaps interesting to note, temporal lobe epilepsy has also been known to cause Geschwind Syndrome, whose symptoms include hyperreligiosity - that is, increased, intense and sometimes abnormal religious beliefs and experiences. 

In June 1970, Anneliese was a resident in a psychiatric hospital, where she experienced her third seizure. It was at this point that she was first prescribed anti-convulsant medication, namely Dilantin. However, this did little to alleviate the symptoms of her condition. Anneliese also began to complain of seeing 'devil faces' at various times of the day. For these apparent hallucinations, Anneliese was prescribed the anti-psychotic medication Aolept, which is sometimes used to treat psychoses associated with some types of schizophrenia. 

Anneliese was prescribed Dilantin for a number of years
in a failed attempt to alleviate the symptoms of her epilepsy.


Despite her condition, Anneliese enrolled in the University of Würzburg in 1973. Classmates and friends stated that she was a withdrawn and deeply religious young woman, preferring to stay in her room and pray rather than partaking in the various social activities that university had to offer. However, her withdrawal was perhaps not devout in nature - Anneliese was rather effectively masking a serious decline in her mental health, suffering from rather severe depression. It was also around this time that she claimed she began to hear voices taunting her while she prayed, telling her she was 'damned' and ensuring she would 'rot in hell'. Despite extensive psychological treatment, Anneliese's mental state seemed only to deteriorate and she eventually began to attribute her condition to demonic possession. She became intolerant of religious symbols, such as the Madonna and the crucifix and is reported to have complained that the "soil burned like fire" on a religious pilgrimage to San Damiano with a friend. In late 1973, she was taken off Dilantin on recommendation of a Freudian psychologist, and instead prescribed Tegretol, a much stronger anti-convulsant which is also used in the treatment of schizophrenia. 

Upon believing herself to be possessed, Anneliese began seeking a priest who would perform an exorcism. Anna Michel claimed that they sought a Jesuit on the advice of neurologist Dr Luthy, however Luthy has fervently denied this claims in the years following Anneliese's death, and it is unknown whether or not the family truly acted on his recommendation or of their own volition. Regardless of their reasoning, the family were rejected on their first two applications for exorcism, with clergy insisting that Anneliese seek medical help instead. During this time, Anneliese suffered from intense psychotic episodes and exhibited bizarre behaviours, including eating insects and drinking her own urine. The Michel family also reported supernatural activity in their home, including swarms of flies and flickering lights. Psychiatric treatment seemed to no longer be of any use to Anneliese, as nothing seemed to improve her condition. 

Bishop Stangl

In 1975, the Michels submitted their third application for exorcism, which was approved by Bishop Josef Stangl of Würzburg. He appointed local pastor Father Ernst Alt and former missionary Father Arnold Renz to carry out the exorcism, which they began on 24 September 1975. During the exorcism, it was revealed that Anneliese was apparently possessed by six entities - a disgraced priest, Roman emperor Nero, Hitler, Cain, Judas Iscariot and even Lucifer himself. At one point, it was believed that Anneliese had been rid of all but one of the entities - only for the other five to return the very next day. When questioned why Anneliese was being possessed, the entities replied that she was being punished for her mother's infidelity.

Prior to the exorcism's beginning, Anneliese had claimed on several occasions that she had been visited by Mother Mary. During a quiet period the rites, in October 1975, she claimed to have experienced another such visit, in which Mary asked her to do penance for lost souls. Anneliese agreed, and thereafter her apparent possession intensified. Due to this event, some regard Anneliese as a saintly figure. 

Anneliese, pictured here with her mother, deteriorated physically
as well as mentally during her exorcism. 
Anneliese's exorcism went on for another ten months and included more than sixty seven rites in total. During these months, she performed hundreds of genuflections daily, to the point where the ligaments in her knees were permanently torn. She would also eat coal, insects and dead animals, urinated freely and at one point crawled under a table and barked like a dog for two days straight. Her convulsive seizures also returned as she had given up on her medication, and she refused to eat and drink, claiming it would protect her against Satan's influence. Her final  and fatal exorcism took place on 1st July 1976. At this point Anneliese, aged 23, weighed just 68lbs (4st 12). During her final moments, she told the priests to "beg for absolution" and spoke to Anna, saying only "Mother, I am afraid."

Anneliese's partner, Peter, alongside her parents and Father Renz
at her funeral


Following Anneliese's death, her parents and the priests were harshly criticised; medical specialists and religious skeptics alike argued that Anneliese had not been possessed but, rather, severely mentally ill and suggested that referral to a psychiatric hospital would have been preferable to the exorcism rites that she went through. It was also suggested that had she been force-fed even a week before her death, she likely would have survived the exorcisms. Even Bishop Stagl noted that he had not been made aware of Anneliese's prior psychiatric issues, and claimed he would not have okayed the exorcism had he known. 

The case went to trial in March of 1978, where the Anna and Josef Michel, as well as Fathers Alt and Renz, were accused of murder by gross negligence. The defence argued that all four should be protected by German constitution, as exorcism could be considered a protected religious practise. They also played tapes of Anneliese during the exorcism (which can be heard here - be warned, they are very unsettling), claiming them as definitive proof that she was possessed. The prosecution, however, argued that the priests may have subconsciously encouraged the type of psychotic behaviour required to be possessed. After three weeks, all four were convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to six month's prison time. The sentence was suspended, however, with three years probation and the prison time was eventually dropped with both the Michels and the priests being fined. 

Whether you believe Anneliese was truly possessed or that she was suffering a severe form of epileptic psychosis one thing is plainly clear - she was a kind and selfless young woman, who dedicated her short life trying to atone for the sins of the lost. Her premature death was a tragedy, and one can only hope that wherever her soul is now, she is resting in the peace she so sorely deserved. 

As for the similarities between the real case and the film - they're not exactly few and far between, but they're hardly exactly the same story either. Is it fair to called The Exorcism of Emily Rose 'based on true events'? Perhaps loosely, but it is by no means an accurate retelling of Anneliese Michel's story. 

Special thanks to the following sources which I used for my research: 

Keep it weird, 
Jazz xo
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MY TOP 10 HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS

In my typical fashion, this post is going up far later than anticipated. My excuse this time? Uni and fitness classes (I know - me in a fitness class, shocking) have gotten in the way of what for months has been my 'free time' and I simply haven't been able to sit down and finish a blog post. My original plan was to partake in a sort of 'Blog-o-ween', where I'd have some sort of spooky post up every day in October. Clearly, that didn't quite go to plan. However, I'm not necessarily deterred and this is me promising, right here and now, that you will have a blog post that, in some way, relates to Halloween - be that directly or by virtue of being spooky - every day between now and then.

Of course, it wouldn't be spooky season without those cosy nights in, watching every horror movie from cheesy to terrifying. If you're a horror film buff like me, you wait anxiously for this time of year to come around because it's the time that they actually decide to show the creepy shit on TV. Here, I've compiled a list of my top ten recommended scary movies for your viewing pleasure.

#10 The Exorcist (1973)
IMDb rating: 8/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 86% 
 Ah, the classic. The Exorcist is one of those films that you just can't really get away with not watching if you're going to have a horror-movie binge during the Halloween season. A trailblazer for the genre, at the time of its release in 1973, this was the scariest film ever made and has inspired rumours - true or otherwise - of people passing out and vomiting from fear in the theatres. If you haven't seen this film yet, you're missing out and I implore you to watch it. Right now. Immediately.

 #9 The Nun (2018)

     IMDb rating: 5.7/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 26%
This is the newest movie on this list, and I strongly disagree with the ratings of other critics. I posted something of a glowing review of it not so long ago, and I still stand by everything I said in it. The Conjuring franchise as a whole provides something of a genuinely unsettling experience, and The Nun serving as the prequel to the titular films, is no exception. I would thoroughly recommend including this one in this year's Halloween-horror roster. 

#8 Zombieland (2009) 

   IMDb rating:7.7/10  Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90%
Look, I get it. Not everybody is a creepy weirdo like me and not everybody likes to be scared. If that's the case for you, but you also have a touch of the old FOMO, and want to be included on the spooky Halloween fun this year, then Zombieland maybe the movie for you. A gem of the comedy-horror genre, I guarantee it'll have you peeing your pants laughing. And let's face it - who doesn't love Emma Stone?

 #7 The Boy (2016)

    IMDb rating:6/10  Rotten Tomatoes rating: 28%
Now, here's the thing with The Boy. I've put it on this list not because I necessarily think it's a great movie. Truth be told, I don't. As far as the scare-factor goes, it rates at a 'meh' at best - it's by no means horrendous, but it's not going to leave you with nightmares. The reason that I enjoy this film is because of it's pretty shocking and rather clever twist towards the end. I can't say much more without giving you spoilers - you'll have to watch it yourself to see what I'm talking about!

#6 What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

    IMDb rating: 7.6/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96% 
Much like Zombieland, this is one of those horror movies for people who don't like horror movies. Directed by, written by and starring Kiwi dreamboats Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement, What We Do In the Shadows is a hilarious take on every stale trope in the vampire movie genre. The mockumentary style only makes it more piss-your-pants hilarious. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to have a giggle this spooky season.

#5 Halloween (1978)

    IMDb rating:7.9/10  Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%
Of course Halloween was going to end up on this list. I mean for God's sake, it shares its name with the holiday. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't watch it around this time of year. On top of that, the long-overdue canon sequel is set to be released in the coming weeks - what better way to celebrate it than to watch the original first?

#4 Pet Sematary (1989)
  IMDb rating:6.6/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 48%
Stephen King famously called Pet Sematary the only adaptation of any of his works that ever genuinely frightened him - and with good cause. I was only about twelve the first time I saw this film and I still find it as absolutely bone-chillingly frightening as I did way back then. Of course, given that it's nearly 30 years old, the special effects are - to put it kindly - rather lacklustre and a little bit cheesy. But the horrifying storyline and terrifying side story more than makes up for it. There's a remake of this being released early next year- all the more reason to catch the original so you can compare!

#3 The Shining (1980)

    IMDb rating: 8.4/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 86%
Based on one of my all-time favourite novels, The Shining is something of a legendary horror movie for a damn good reason. It's a horrifying depiction of the psychological decline of Jack Torrence and the torment of his young family at the hands of a haunted hotel. The late, great Stanley Kubrick really worked his unique magic on this one and, of course, Jack Nicholson's performance as leading man is absolutely iconic. The only thing I implore of you is that you read the book either before or after seeing the film - it's an absolutely tantalising scary delight, and I promise you won't be disappointed.

#2 The Amityville Horror (1979)

   IMDb rating: 6.2/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 29%
To be honest with you, I had a bit of a tough time deciding between this and the next movie for top spot. The only reason this one gets beaten out by a slim margin is because of the slight controversy surrounding the 'true story' on which the film is based and some of my own personal reservations about the Warrens (both of which I plan to explain in later posts!). That said, this is a truly brilliant movie. A classic of the paranormal genre, I strongly recommend that you watch this if you haven't already (And no, the 2005 remake doesn't count. I don't care how hot Ryan Reynolds is. Watch the original first.)

#1 The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)


    IMDb rating: 6.7/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 48%
My all time favourite horror movie, and one of my favourites over all, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is great in its uniqueness. Loosely based on the real story of a young German woman named Anneliese Michel, the film follows a court case surrounding the death of a girl, which may or may not have been caused by demonic forces. Made all the more impressive by the fact that Jennifer Carpenter actually did all of those crazy twists and contortions herself, this is my absolute must-watch film for any horror binge at any time of year. If you watch no other scary films this season, make sure you see this one.

So - those are my ten horror movie recommendations for this Halloween season. Do you agree with my recs? Have any you'd like to add? Let me know!

Keep it weird,
Jazz xo
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FILM REVIEW: THE NUN (2018)


If you're at all into the horror movie scene, you might have noticed that, in recent years, there's been something of a shift in both the style of and attitude towards horror movies. It seems like, for much of the past 20 or so years, the horror scene has been overrun by bloody gore flicks - think the Saw and Final Destination franchises, Hostel, Wolf Creek. While these will forever hold their place in history as iconic flicks that you watch far too young at sleepovers and give yourself grisly nightmares for a week, they don't really hold on to the heart of horror. That is to say, they seek mostly to disgust and repulse rather than genuinely frighten and unsettle. This was, of course, followed by the altogether lacklustre "found footage" based-on-a-true-story-but-not-really trend of the early 2010s (I'm sorry, but Paranormal Activity was utter bollocks and I won't be told otherwise). Thankfully, however, as the 2010s have worn on we've seemed to see a return to the roots of what made horror great - genuinely unnerving, unsettling films that don't just rely on blood and guts to put the shits up their audience. 

The Conjuring franchise is a series I feel best exemplifies horror's recent return to greatness. Directed by director/producer/writer extraodinaire James Wan, the titular films of the franchise have managed to strike a perfect balance between using the "based on a true story" trope and not relying on it solely for the fear factor. I'm a gal who loves a really good demonic possession film, and The Conjuring franchise really seemed to echo the days of yore (i.e. the 1970s and 80s) in which demon flicks had their peak. I was in love with the series from the first film and, while the Annabelle movies didn't really do it for me, I was more than a little excited for the release of The Nun and booked tickets to see it on opening night as soon as they were available at my nearest cinema. 

I'm happy to announce that I wasn't at all disappointed. The story follows a troubled priest named Father Burke (Demián Bichir) and a young novitiate, Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) as they travel to a Romanian abbey to investigate the apparent suicide of one of the convent's nuns. While there, they meet with a local known as Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet), who discovered the dead nun's body while making his daily supply delivery. As one would expect with such a film, all is not as it appears and there is much more sinister activity afoot. 

The greatest strength the film offers is the marvellous casting, with strong performances all round. Especially compelling is the performance of Taissa Farmiga as leading lady - though this should perhaps not be at all surprising, giving that she is the younger sister of Vera Farmiga, star of the first two Conjuring movies and something of a veteran of the silver screen at that point. Acting talent clearly runs in the Farmiga blood, as her performance is easily on par with that of her sister. Demián Bichir, as ever, provides a gripping performances as the troubled and surly Father Burke, and the film also has some scenes of comic relief thanks to Belgian dreamboat Jonas Bloquet's "Frenchie". I only hope, should subsequent movies in the same cinematic universe as The Nun be released, that we see the three of them return to the screen again. 

The atmospherics of the movie can also be applauded for their delicious creepiness. The score (composed by Abel Korzeniowski) manages to reflect everything that was great about those of classic horror without feeling trite, cliché or overdone. This wonderfully eerie soundtrack, coupled with some genuinely frightening imagery makes for an air of unease and fear that is rare in recent films. In particular, I enjoyed the physical appearance of the film's titular villain. "The Nun" herself is something of a horrifying demonic creature whose appearance - particularly facially - hits that sweet spot of being almost-but-not-quite-human, and is just animal enough to be genuinely frightening. 

All that praise in mind, even the greatest of films has its weak spots. For The Nun that, unfortunately, comes in the form of the film's logical inconsistencies. I like to keep my reviews spoiler free, so I won't say too much on that, but I will say that some parts of the film make little to no sense given prior scenes. The storytelling is also a rather lazy and incoherent in places, leaving a few glaring plot holes and requiring some post-watching thought to really get it to all fall into place. 

That said, the film was altogether thoroughly enjoyable from the perspective of your average horror movie fan. It doesn't rely solely on gore or jumpscares to be frightening, though it isn't without its fair share of both - if you're sensitive to either of those things, you may want to approach the film with caution. Also be aware that a suicide is depicted in the film rather graphically and there are heavy themes of the religion and the occult. Again, if you are sensitive to or upset by any of this, this may not be the movie for you. Overall, I'd rate it a total of 8/10.

Thanks for reading, 
Keep it weird,
Jazz xo
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