It’s been 12 years since The Conjuring rocked the horror world with its supernatural scares and haunting visuals. While I often find myself surprised at how much time has passed when I put the release date of a movie getting the 4K treatment it was actually the opposite here, as I was surprised to find out that only just over a decade has gone by since The Conjuring came out, likely due to how many sequels and spin-offs (all of which fall under The Conjuring Universe franchise umbrella) have come out since then.
Since 2013 there have been two direct Conjuring sequels (with a third releasing this year) and seven spin-off films. Now, the sheer number of films within this short period of time makes it understandable why the majority of the spin-offs have been fairly mediocre in terms of quality, coming off as much more paint-by-numbers with run-of-the-mill horror flick jump scares and weak stories compared to the franchise’s originator. In my opinion, only The Conjuring 2 and Annabelle Comes Home come close to matching the quality of the first film, though despite the generic nature of the rest there’s no denying that the box-office demand remains for anything Conjuring related.
This is, of course, due to the fact that The Conjuring is such a strong film that the foundation it laid can carry the load of however many sequels and spin-offs the studio can come up with. For those who don’t know, The Conjuring follows paranormal investigators Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) and Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) as they confront a powerful demonic entity believed to be possessing a young girl who lives with her family in a secluded farmhouse.
Ed and Lorraine Warren are real people and the film is based on the true-life story, and whether you believe it all or not, even allowing yourself to believe an inkling of this to be true is terrifying. There’s something unique about exorcism films, as even if you don’t believe in demons, possession, religions or Heaven and Hell altogether, if done properly, these stories can be some of the scariest told, and when it comes to horror you can rarely be in safer filmmaking hands than when James Wan is behind the camera.
Wan is one of the best horror directors working today and to have watched his growth throughout the decades since he changed the horror game by dropping the gruesome Saw bombshell onto the genre back in 2004 has been a treat. While there was plenty of shock value in Saw, Wan also showed a clear understanding of building tension and suspense over simply showcasing an abundance of blood and gore for the sake of it. He’d prove this again in 2010’s Insidious, which pulled back on the gore and focused more on the tension and scares with the subject of possession taking center stage. Insidious is chilling and full of scares, and Wan was clearly able to take everything he learned from working on that film and elevate it even more for The Conjuring, which I’m sure many would argue is his best film to date.
While I have my own personal favourite of his, there’s absolutely no denying that Wan delivers perfection – or as close to it as one can – with The Conjuring, which now has the ability to strike fear into your heart in 4K. While its spin-off films, such as The Nun or Annabelle, focus more on cheap jump scares, Wan weaves a tightly knit web of horror in The Conjuring that you feel under your skin as the tension builds. While there are jump scares to be had, they’re earned and genuine. They’re a part of the scene and story and not just tacked on for the sake of getting the audience to scream. Wan takes the script by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes and brings it to life the way writers dream of, visually and thematically captivating audiences so much that they let their guard down without realizing due to how engrossing the story is, only to be sideswiped by the type of scare that leaves a lasting impression well into the night.
While it’s only been a little over a decade since its release, The Conjuring remains one of the best horror films of the new millennium – and arguably prior to it as well. Whether you enjoy all the sequels and spinoffs or not, there’s no denying that Wan and company delivered the goods the first time out (and second, as The Conjuring 2 is right up there alongside it). If you missed it originally or simply haven’t watched it since it was first released, there’s no better time to revisit this classic or watch it for the first time than by possessing this new 4K offering.
Overall Movie Score: 5/5
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
What’s important to most is how much of an improvement over the Blu-ray is this remastered 4K release, and the answer is that it’s a worthy enough upgrade for fans of the film who are looking for the best home viewing experience of The Conjuring. The 2160p/HDR10 is upscaled from the original and this gives the film deeper blacks, which for a film where a lot of scares live in the shadows is a win. The details found within those darker areas pop nicely and overall it’s an enhanced scare experience with notable improvements across the board. This isn’t a release that you’ll rave about to friends, but it’s one that delivers the best at-home experience that The Conjuring has seen yet.
On the audio side of things we’ve got the same DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that was found on the 2013 Blu-ray, but know that it’s a mix that doesn’t necessarily need improvements. Sure, it’s great to slap Dolby Atmos mixes all over to seem new and fresh, but this current mix delivers the sounds and scares Wan aimed for exactly as they were received in the theaters…or at least, as close to it as possible to the point where sticking with this track isn’t a disservice to the film or fans in the least.
New Special Features:
Scariest of Them All – This is an 8-minute featurette that seems cast and crew look back at the film and their favourite scares. They also talk about some of the sequels and spin-offs, but the focus is mainly on the original. It’s always nice to see retrospectives on these releases, so to see the main cast and Wan return is a welcome, albeit brief, treat for fans.
Reflections on The Conjuring – This one is just under 7-minutes and is another retrospective behind-the-scenes piece with more focus on the making-of the original film and the impact it had to spawn The Conjuring Universe.
Legacy Special Features:
The Conjuring: Face-to-Face with Terror – This six-and-a-half minute featurette touches on the real-life Perron family, who talk about their experience with the demonic presence and spirits that haunted them for a decade on the farmhouse.
A Life in Demonology – This feature is just over 15-minutes in length and sees the real demonologist and paranormal experts from film take the viewer on a tour of their occult cellar (which is showcased in the franchise periodically, as well) where we find various haunted and unholy relics from their cases.
Scaring the “@S*%” Out of You – Here we get to see Wan showcase the various scenes that tend to scare audiences time and time again.
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents The Conjuring. Directed by: James Wan. Written by: Chad Hayes, Carey W. Hayes. Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor, Shanley Caswell, Joey King, Hayley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy, Kyla Deaver. Running time: 112 Minutes. Rating: R. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Aug. 26, 2025.
About Brendan Campbell
