At first glance, The Conjuring may appear as just another entry in the haunted-house film genre. But don’t let the initial feeling of familiarity fool you; this film offers scares aplenty, and most surprisingly, nails them almost perfectly to frightening effect.

This tale is based on the real-life exploits of paranormal specialists Ed Warren—the only Vatican-recognized demonologist—and his clairvoyant wife, Lorraine. The pair made famous by their work on the renowned and much-disputed Amityville Horror case.

As the film begins, we see Mr. Warren (Patrick Wilson) and Mrs. Warren (Vera Farmiga) investigating the possession of an insanely creepy doll in the late 1960s. This opening scene sets the tone of the movie and paves the way for the events ahead.  

Fast forward to 1970, and we’re introduced to the Roger and Carolyn Perron (Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor) and their five daughters. The family has just moved into an old Rhode Island farmhouse that holds, unbeknownst to them, some dark secrets within its walls. Before they can even put out the welcome mat, mysterious events begin to plague the family—all the clocks in the house stop at the same time, mysterious knocking sounds echo throughout the house, sleeping girls are awaken in the middle of the night by a tug at their leg, etc.  

These events prompt the Perrons to seek out the Warrens in hopes of finding an explanation for the strange occurrences.

Director James Wan (of torture porn film Saw) borrows many elements from classic horror films of yesteryear—Poltergeist, The Haunting, and of course The Exorcist. The setting and the score of the film really help illustrate the increasing tension throughout the film. At times, scenes go by with very little sound to no sound at all. This ramped up the fear factor, and often had me slinking down into my seat in anticipation of what was going to happen next.

Despite the majority of the film taking place in one location—the Perrons' home—I never bored of the setting. In fact, I think it was one of the strongest elements of the film. The house gives you the feeling that you’re in a place you know you shouldn’t be, but you go forward anyway because it’s hard to resist the old-world charm and mystery of the place.

All of the actors involved gave resounding and believable performances. Yes, I’m saying that about actors in a horror film! Taylor and Farmiga come off as the most compelling characters in the film. Their respective performances beg the audience to sympathize with them and root for them as they each battle their own demons—literally and figuratively.

The Conjuring is not going to win any awards for originality. It relies on a formula that has been used time and time again—most often unsuccessfully—throughout the horror film genre. What makes this a must see for fans of the supernatural is the way Wan delivers such a chilling tale while utilizing many of the same techniques that fail to deliver the thrills and chills in other scary movies. This movie shows that treading in familiar territory can feel like a new and refreshing experience. 

--Derrick Mitcham 

Written and directed by Jim Rash and Nate Faxon (the Academy Award-winning writers of The Descendents), The Way, Way Back tells the tale of Duncan (Liam James), a 14-year-old boy forced to vacation at his mom’s jerk boyfriend’s summer home and who is angry, insecure, and devoid of friends as his mom seems to be having some sort of weird adult spring break. He crushes on the neighbor’s daughter (AnnaSophia Robb) and rides his bike to the nearby water park in order to escape. It’s there that he meets Owen (Sam Rockwell), the manager of Water Wizz who has a certain confidence and joie de vivre that is infectious to young Duncan after being marginalized and put down by mom’s boyfriend (Steve Carell).

The Way, Way Back isn’t anything new really. Adventureland and Little Miss Sunshine both lend heavily as inspirations. This film may be a fairly generic coming-of-age story, but it has one ace in the hole: Sam Rockwell. Sure, he’s playing a similar character he always tends to play: cocksure, wacky, slightly unstable, and unreliable but full of heart and loyalty. His character brings out the confidence in Duncan to stand up for himself and go for what he wants. There are also some great supporting characters, like Rash’s sadsack Louis and Allison Janney as the lush neighbor. Toni Collette plays Duncan’s mom in a way that makes you really miss The United States of Tara. She can say so much with just a single expression.

But, the movie can’t overcome its genericness and the not-so-great acting of Liam James, who’s forced to carry a movie on his shoulders. No amount of charming Sam Rockwell dancing can truly compensate (okay, that’s not entirely true...). You should still go see The Way, Way Back, but just know you’re not going into a movie that will surprise you in the slightest. Luckily, you have some Sam Rockwell to make you smile along the way.

--Darcie Duttweiler

Director Gore Verbinski and actor Johnny Depp may have hit the bull’s eye with the three Pirates of the Caribbean films and the animated Rango, but The Lone Ranger completely misses the mark.

In this revisionist film, Verbinski tells the tale of how the Comanche warrior with a tortured past, Tonto (Johnny Depp), and straight-laced Texas lawyer John Reid (Armie Hammer) came to meet and the adventure they share in their pursuit of justice. The two do not exactly see eye-to-eye upon their first encounter. But when Reid is left for dead after he and his fellow Texas Rangers are ambushed by the outlaw Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner) and his gang, Tonto nurses the ailing lawman back to health and gives him his signature black mask to complete his vigilante makeover.

From here, the pair face-off time and time again against Cavendish, corporate tycoons driven by greed, and on many occasions, each other. This back-and-forth goes on for way too long (the film clocks in at 2 hours and 29 minutes), dragging the film down and making it all feel like a colossal bore. There were about five different incidents during the film where I said to myself: "I can’t believe it’s still going." It definitely would have benefited the film if it were an hour shorter.

I kept hoping that Depp would step up and serve as the film’s saving grace, but sadly that did not happen. His charm and ability to breathe the right amount of eccentricity into his characters continues with his portrayal of Tonto. Some of the silliest moments in the film come during his conversations with the spirit horse, and his attempts to feed the deceased crow that reigns from atop his head. With that said, I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching a less-flamboyant version of Jack Sparrow, minus the dreadlocks and pirate get-up, out in the Wild West.  

Hammer was likeable enough, though his performance came off as very bland at times and then campy at others. Verbinski’s uncertainty as to how to frame the film as a whole might be partly to blame for that.

Helena Bonham Carter makes a brief appearance that adds little to the film. Though she does show off a fake ivory leg that conceals a hidden pistol, which should be good for a few points from gun enthusiasts.

Tonally, the film seemed to be all over the place. You could almost label it a parody for the way it satirized the source material. Yet there were some dramatic moments that added some tension to the film, as well as sociopolitical commentary on corruption and greed. It seemed Verbinski wanted to address a few too many issues at once.   

I do think the film succeeded visually. The shooting locations chosen were visually striking and added great scenic value to much of the film. And there is something to be said for its authenticity. Real trains were built, as opposed to CGI locomotives, for some of the film’s best action sequences. About six miles worth of railroad track were actually laid as well.

In all, there are a few enjoyable moments to be had in The Lone Ranger. It’s clear that Verbinski was looking to recreate the magic and commercial success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but this film simply does not meet the challenge. This is one film I hope the spirit horse leaves dead and gone once its time has come.  

--Derrick Mitcham