Parents' Guide to

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Horror sequel is intense, but not as good as previous films.

Movie R 2021 112 minutes
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 16+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Goodforumkvies
Goodforumkvies Parent of 11-year-old
April 2, 2022
age 15+

Terrifying horror sequel, better for adult audience, not as good as the first 2 films.

Positive Messages: (2/5) some positive messages about being brave, empathy, cooperation, and hoping that everything will be alright, but the movies scares don’t really make you think about the messages. Positive role-models: (4/5) Ed and Lorraine show bravery, intelligence, and kindness in every scene they are shown. The possessed boys try and stay calm. A girlfriend tells his boyfriend about how much they love each other. Diverse role models and cast: (3/5) There is a diverse cast and role models, unisex people are shown, some older, some younger and show a lot of bravery and intelligence. Violence and scariness: (5/5) much more gory and bloody than the first two. Characters are chased with knives, stabbed, throats are slit, and a fair amount of blood during these scares. There is a scene in the beginning were a character is shown in a bathtub blood filling it. A character also tries to commit suicide by stabbing his throat with a big, sharp piece of glass.There are scary creatures, demons, windows breaking into pieces, and let’s not talk about the possessed boy. Language: (2/5) infrequent but strong. “Hell” “damn” and a use of “s- -t”. Sex: (2/5) kissing, flirting, and innuendo + sexual references, which are mild

This title has:

Too much violence
POrtiz73
POrtiz73 Adult
July 16, 2021
age 18+

What’s the reason to see movies with no positive message?

I’m amazed of the distortion of concepts in this times. The devil exists (I don’t care if you think I’m in church all day, but no ... just a regular mom). I do care about what my kids see or hear. So the devil exists and he is already acting in all the bad things that are happening in our society, precisely by doing it his way: through lies, trying to make the bad look good; twisting the truth. So, my kids like horror movies but I wouldn’t give him, a space in my house while we enjoy the movie time as a family. I’m talking because even in the title, it says it all. Just ask yourself: If I have other choices... why should I pick this one? And don’t judge my comment because after all, this site is intended to give advice with common sense, about movies.
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What's the Story?

In THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT, it's 1981, and paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) are in the middle of the exorcism of a young boy, David (Julian Hilliard), that doesn't seem to be working. Arne (Ruairi O'Connor), the boyfriend of David's sister, Debbie (Sarah Catherine Hook), grabs him and invites the demon into him. Before long, Arne starts to feel strange. While in some kind of trance, he stabs and kills a family friend and goes to jail. The Warrens hope to get him released by reason of demon possession and go to work to find out more about the creature responsible. But their first lead, a strange witch's totem left underneath the house, suggests other forces at work.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10):
Kids say (38):

With James Wan no longer at the helm, the third Conjuring movie feels more like a weary episode of an old detective TV show than the metaphysical, kinetic, and terrifying previous entries. The Curse of la Llorona director Michael Chaves takes charge this time and offers up a movie that's more about detective work and beating the clock than about the supernatural or the paranormal. Part of what made The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016) so special wasn't just Wan's intensely visceral use of sound and space to generate chills, but also the sense that these "true stories" opened a door on what was possible. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It doesn't seem that curious ... or scary.

Chaves serves up some of the usual horror stuff, including contorting bodies with accompanying "clicking" noises, things rushing toward the camera, and "boo!" jump scares. As the eighth entry in the Conjuring Universe, the movie doesn't seem to add much to the series. But at its heart are the Warrens, and Farmiga and Wilson still bring a little extra to make their characters fascinating, lovable, and special. Ed is recovering from a heart attack in this one, making him more vulnerable and sympathetic. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It also digs a little deeper into the couple's storybook romance, including delightful moments like the one in which Ed tries to dissuade Lorraine from exploring a dark crawlspace. "You'll get your dress dirty," he says. "Just hold my purse," she replies.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. How did it make you feel? Do the blood and gore make the movie feel scarier? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • How scary is the movie? What are the scariest parts? What's the difference between jump scares and other kinds of scares? Does a movie have to be violent to be scary?

  • How does the "based on a true story" aspect affect the movie? Do you believe that this scary stuff, or something like it, actually happened?

  • Are the Warrens role models? How do they help out the Glatzel family?

  • Is Arne a role model? What price does he pay to help out young David? How do things work out for him?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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