The Devil Made Me Do It (Mini-Review)

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is the third movie in the main Conjuring movies. The film follows the harrowing sacrifice that Arne Cheyenne Johnson makes so that the young David Glatzel avoids demonic possession. But in order to save the young boy, Arne finds himself under demonic possession himself and being blamed for a murder. Ed and Lorraine Warren race against time to free Arne and to prove his innocence. The film was directed by Michael Chaves. It stars Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, and Ruairi O'Connor. It was released in 2021.

The Conjuring movies are enjoyable as horror movies. But what is less enjoyable about them is they also help spread the lie that the Warrens were anything but liars who were out to make a buck. I've seen on some spiritual groups people talking about this latest entry as if it were true. When in reality this film lies about Arne Cheyenne Johnson even more than the actual Warrens did.

This film is directed by Micheal Chaves who also directed The Curse of La Llorona. That spinoff was one of series' weaker entries. So upon hearing that he was going to direct the third Conjuring movie, I grew a little worried. While the spinoffs' qualities dramatically differ, the Conjuring films in the main series have been solid. They aren't the best horror films, but they are far from the worst. Luckily Micheal Chaves does a much better job at directing The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It than The Curse of La Llorona.

One highlight of the film for me was the appearance of John Noble as Kastner. The actor is one of those that always brings a strong performance. While he doesn't have very much time in the film, he uses his brief appearance well. You get a good sense of how the character has been changed by what happened to him in the past. I also can't help but pity him instead of disliking him in any manner. Though that's probably because I'm giving the character a free pass due to me being a fan of the actor.

So what about Arne Cheyenne Johnson? His storyline is the strongest in the film. He cares for those around him and, in the end, that's what gets him tangled up with a demon. Sadly, instead of focusing more heavily on him and his trial, Arne takes the backseat for a majority of the film. While this is understandable as the series is known more for seeing spooky ghosts and not for courtroom proceedings, it still feels like a letdown. Not only because there is less time for Arne, but also the subject of demonic possessions as a legal defense is interesting. Why tackle this story if you're going to ignore the courtroom for the most part?

This is not a scary film, but there are some good use of visuals here and there. When the demon takes control of Arne, viewers are able to see from his point of you. You are put into the shoes of someone who wants to do good but is tricked into doing something evil. Besides Arne, there is one other character who is taken over and you're able to see the same sort of POV. Those moments are some of the biggest highlights of the film.

I would recommend The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It to fans of the Conjuring movies. I would also recommend The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It to horror fans.