The Conjuring 3 review roundup: ‘Well-constructed, terrifying entry, but lacks that kinetic haunted-house element’

The horror thriller, which released in India on Friday, has a 55 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the critical consensus reads, “The Devil Made Me Do It represents a comedown for the core Conjuring films, although Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson keep the audience invested.”

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is based on the real-life case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who claimed in court that he was under demonic possession when he committed a crime. The makers had previously released a featurette that had Arne Cheyenne Johnson’s wife speaking about the experience. She shared in the video that it was her baby brother who was the first one to be possessed but later, her husband became possessed as well.

Benjamin Lee of The Guardian found the third film in the franchise better than the previous films. He wrote, “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it is a handsomely made return to form for a series that had been showing signs of fatigue. Delving into their questionable case files once again, this time has the Warrens (played again by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) dealing with one of their most heavily publicised battles with evil.”

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NYT’s Lena Wilson noted in her review, “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is by far the most well-constructed, terrifying entry in the franchise, but its plot relies all too heavily on that same bizarre evangelism. It is an excellently spooky work of fiction. It would be even better if it privileged ghoulishness over gospel.”

New Zealand Herald’s Dominic Corry said, “Claims of veracity aside, audiences who have previously warmed to this franchise’s sense of “classy” horror should find plenty to enjoy.”

Thrillist’s Scott Weinberg wrote, “It takes some skill to keep a franchise feeling fresh after this many entries, but Conjuring 3 handles the assignment well enough.’

Austin Chronicle’s Jenny Nulf came down hard on the movie. She wrote, “It’s disappointing to stop rooting for a blockbuster behemoth horror series, but The Conjuring movies’ quality and talon-tight hold has rapidly deflated over time.”

Owen Gleiberman of The Variety feels the movie “lacks that kinetic haunted-house element.” He wrote, “It’s the most somber and meditative and least aggressive of the Conjuring films.”