Psychic investigators and demonologists Lorraine and Ed Warren investigate a murder that may be linked to a demonic possession.

The eighth movie in the Conjuring Universe series is a return to the core characters of Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Fermiga) after various side trips with Annabelle, the Nun and La Llorona, but the well-established formula is starting to feel a little too familiar.

Set in 1981 and loosely based on the real-life ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ media phenomenon which was the first known court case in the US where the defence sought to prove innocence based upon the defendant’s claim of demonic possession and denial of personal responsibility for the crime. Unfortunately, little time is spent in the court, and instead we’re thrown into dark basements or rooms with concealed corners so that our characters can be subjected a lengthy run of jump scares.

As with the other movies in the series, this is solid nuts and bolts film making with a decent budget, some good effects and a decent cast, but as with most well-established franchises, it takes the easy route of sticking rigidly to an established formula that leaves little room for invention.

Accused killer Ruairi O’Connor (Arne Cheyenne Johnson) and former priest Kastner (John Noble, Fringe) are good additions to the cast in this by-the-numbers exercise by director  Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona) from a story by James Wan (director of the first two Conjuring movies) and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (The Conjuring 2, Aquaman). It’s far glossier and more accomplished than the 1983 TV movie based on the same incident, The Demon Murder Case, with Cloris Leachman and Eddie Albert, but it’s just got nothing new to say.

The Blu-ray includes a 4 minute look at new character The Occultist, 5 minutes on the true life demonic possession case, a 5 minute behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie and a 13 minute animated video comic (The Lover #1) set in the Conjuring universe.

Verdict: Farmiga and Wilson are great, but they’re not well-served by a script that’s all-too-predictable and feels like it’s running along the worn rails of an old ghost train. Not bad, just uninspired. 6/10

Nick Joy

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