The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

Downs...

5. Michael Chaves' Mediocre Direction

The biggest worry ahead of this movie's release was the fact that James Wan didn't return due to scheduling conflicts, appointing Michael Chaves - who directed the Conjuring Universe's awful The Curse of La Llorona - as his replacement.

There's the prevailing feeling watching this film that Chaves has more-or-less attempted to imitate Wan's style and ensure a consistency with what came before, but his handle on tone and imagery can't even begin to match Wan's.

The prolonged suspense sequences feel oddly stock and ordinary compared to the first two movies, and it's clear that Chaves can't get close to Wan's creative approach to potentially by-the-numbers setups (which, here, they often are).

Chaves doesn't embarrass himself by any means, but there's simply a feeling of anonymity cutting throughout the film, like it could've been assembled by any half-competent filmmaker trying to do their best impression of Wan's work.