In 2013, the critically acclaimed ‘The Conjuring’ began a new franchise of horror movies known as the ‘The Conjuring Universe’, all based on true events. ‘The Conjuring’ and its sequel ‘The Conjuring 2’ were both highly praised by fans and critics. This of course sets high expectations for the third entry in the series, ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga both return from the first two movies to star as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life married couple who worked together as paranormal investigators associated with prominent cases of alleged hauntings. The movie’s plot is based on the true events that lead to the Trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who claimed he was possessed by a demon while committing murder but was convicted after the judge ruled that his claim could not be proven and was infeasible in a court of law.

Set in 1981, the story begins with the exorcism of David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard), with Ed and Lorraine attempting to remove the evil spirit possessing the young boy. David’s older sister, Debbie, and her boyfriend Arne (played by Sarah Catherine Hook and Ruairi O’Connor respectively) were also present and tried to help restrain David, but the demon within him was too strong and gained full control over his body. In a desperate attempt to save David, Arne manages to convince the demon to take control of him instead and freeing David of the curse.

After that night, everything feels normal at first and Arne tries to continue living his life as if nothing happened, but finds himself in situations where he could potentially hurt himself and those around him. What he sees isn’t exactly what everyone else sees, not being able to separate his hallucinations from reality. As his condition gets worse, he is admitted into a mental clinic while Ed and Lorraine continue to investigate the source of this demon to put an end to it and prove Arne’s innocence.

All of the main cast play their roles incredibly well, with a lot of intense and scary moments that really help enhance the movie’s spine-tingling plot. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine really show their determination no matter the circumstances. Ruairi O’Connor as Arne really shows his struggles trying to live a normal life with so much to look forward to in the future, but also having to live with the constant fear that the demon within will take over and kill everyone close to him. However, Julian Hilliard gives a show-stealing performance at the beginning of the film during the exorcism scene, but credit should also go to his body double, Emerald Gordon Wulf, who Julian also gives a shoutout to on his Twitter account (monitored by his parents).

Emerald is a real-life contortionist, able to bend and twist her body in unbelievable ways, and has even appeared on ‘America’s Got Talent’ and ‘Little Big Shots’ showing off her amazing skills. This means there were actually no special effects used in that horrifying opening scene, other than Julian’s face being digitally placed over Emerald’s. Together they created some very disturbing visuals that clearly take a lot of inspiration from ‘The Exorcist’ movies.

The real story that inspired this movie is definitely worth looking up and researching for anyone interested to learn more about the events that lead to the Trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, also known as the “Devil Made Me Do It” case which is the inspiration for the movie’s title. It is also the first known court case in the United States where the defense tried to prove innocence based upon the defendant’s claim of demonic possession and denial of personal responsibility for the crime.

Even though the film is based on true events, it of course isn’t 100% accurate to the real story. But then again, the true story can also be difficult to believe, especially for skeptics. To this day, there still hasn’t been solid enough evidence that these supernatural events actually occurred in real life, and claiming to be possessed by a demon while committing a crime, isn’t going to help prove anyone’s innocence, much like for Arne Johnson. That still hasn’t stopped believers from trying to discover and witness paranormal activities, with many dedicated communities around the world.

Movies like The Conjuring series and other horror movies based on true events can help turn audiences into believers and even if they’re still skeptics by the end, they may still be looking over their shoulder in the dark and become a little hesitant before going to bed at night. ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ is a fantastic, intense, and spine-tingling addition to The Conjuring series and The Conjuring Universe.

Written by: Sammy Hanson