The Conjuring feels like a standard horror film—a haunted house story with elements of exorcism, which is exactly what I wanted. The tension builds gradually toward an eventual climax involving a malevolent presence. It's a decent movie, though the narrative doesn’t offer anything particularly original. Watching it inevitably brings comparisons to *The Amityville Horror* to mind. I don’t believe it warrants the extremely high ratings of 9 or 10 that some people have given it, but neither does it deserve those very low 1 or 2-star reviews. What were those viewers hoping for? This is a well-made film that sticks closely to the conventions of supernatural possession stories. As I mentioned, it isn't groundbreaking, but it’s refreshing to see a movie using this kind of plot without resorting to excessive computer-generated gore. Like most horror movies, it does have some familiar issues—like characters inexplicably deciding to wander into dark and frightening basements alone in the dead of night. One thing that bothered me was how casually ghosts and exorcisms were portrayed as commonplace and accepted. If the film had been set earlier, perhaps around the 1970s, it might have felt more believable. It seemed strange to see this “ghost hunter” giving presentations and discussing supernatural entities and exorcism as if they were everyday occurrences. Then there’s the ending. It wasn't terrible, but when you’re performing an exorcism, finish it! Don't pause the process and seem confused every time something makes a noise. I was unsure whether I would enjoy this movie or find it disappointing. Ultimately, I was glad I watched it. It was good to see a film returning to traditional horror filmmaking techniques, and it was as well-executed as could be expected.

Source on TMDB