Horror sequels are notorious for failing to maintain any sort of consistency, with virtually every big name property under the sun succumbing to the law of diminishing returns at one stage or another, before the inevitable reboot or remake comes along and the cycle begins anew.
While the shared universe has suffered its fair share of ups and downs already, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is looking to keep up the high levels of critical acclaim and audience enthusiasm that greeted the first two outings for Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson’s Lorraine and Ed Warren.
The third installment faces an even tougher task without franchise architect and creative driving force James Wan behind the camera, but his protege Michael Chavez cut his teeth on The Conjuring Universe’s The Curse of La Llorona, so on the surface the series appears to be in good hands. Indeed, the first social media reactions to The Devil Made Me Do It have arrived online ahead of the movie’s release two weeks from tomorrow, and you can check them out below.
THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT changes up the established formula a bit, but the series remains what I like to call "spooktacular." As long as Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga keep making these, I will watch them. #TheConjuring #TheConjuringTheDevilMadeMeDoIt pic.twitter.com/bjKRZB7GwD
— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) May 20, 2021
#TheConjuring #TheDevilMadeMeDoIt is a fantastic next chapter in the franchise! It's got so much heart and a love story at its core. I got so invested that I forgot to eat dinner while watching the screener. No spoilers, but I slept with the light on. pic.twitter.com/jPZR1GAVfC
— Jenna Busch-Henderson (@JennaBusch) May 20, 2021
THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT is freakishly demonic & bone-chilling in all the right spots, featuring a sensational opening sequence & a waterbed scene that rivals any creepy moment from the franchise so far. Wild that it's based on a real story, too. #TheConjuring pic.twitter.com/8HxIRkNHtI
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) May 20, 2021
Happy to report that The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is solid. It has issues dovetailing the reality of the case and its fictional horror spin, but it's great to see the Warrens on an investigation, and there are more than a few exciting and well-orchestrated scares. pic.twitter.com/AYIYKrIGz7
— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) May 20, 2021
#TheConjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It isn’t as scary or unnerving as its predecessors, but has a few spooky sequences. Some aspects, while unexpected, struggle to keep mystery & curiosity at a fever-pitch. Not bad, not great. Vera Farmiga & Patrick Wilson are vivid & compelling. pic.twitter.com/vJzaIlU5mw
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) May 20, 2021
I wish I had bigger effusive praise for THE CONJURING THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT as others do. I loved the first two chapters, and admire some of the bigger swings this one takes in remaining true to the universe. It just didn’t crawl under the skin in the ways the others have.
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) May 20, 2021
Last week I was lucky enough to be among the first people to see #TheConjuring #TheDevilMadeMeDoIt and oooh boy, get ready. The Warren's are BACK, baby! Prepare yourself to go on one hell of a ride, and don't worry, there's no shortage of scares. pic.twitter.com/zG1O8HQ3G5
— Shannon | #FreePalestine 🇵🇸 (@shannon_mcgrew) May 20, 2021
First reaction to #TheConjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It:
• Less scary than C1 and C2
• The antagonist is a franchise-best
• Strong visuals and atmosphere throughout
• Sets up an interesting new dynamic for the series
• @thejohnnoble rulesFull review coming soon on @IGN. pic.twitter.com/NzU5x6PLYj
— Tom Jorgensen (@Tom_Jorgensen) May 20, 2021
From the sound of things, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It has slapped a fresh coat of paint on the tried and trusted formula by tackling the case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who was facing trial for murder and claimed demonic possession at the time the crimes were committed as the grounds for his defense. Chaves promised bigger and darker, as well as teasing that he’d blow the doors right off the haunted house genre, and it looks as though he may have succeeded in that task based on the generally positive responses to the next chapter in the saga.