Display windows are getting shorter and shorter. It makes sense because companies want to take as few risks as possible and achieve the maximum possible profits. Reducing the time between when a movie is in theaters and when it moves to streaming makes sense when trying to maximize profits, especially if it doesn’t affect the money made at the box office. This is something that doesn’t seem to have affected the highest-grossing horror movie of the year.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is the ninth and latest installment to date of the Conjuring franchise. Composed of three different series —The Conjuring, Annabelle, and The Nun—, this franchise has been expanding since 2013 with almost an annual film. And it seems that it has finally managed to make a significant impact.
A movie that has taken the box office by storm
In this installment, based on the true case of the Smurl Haunting, the Warrens must investigate the supposed paranormal phenomena experienced by a family in West Pittston in 1986. Suffering from violent poltergeists that even physically assaulted the family, it is one of the few, if not the only documented case, of a succubus, a demon that specifically feeds on people’s sexual desire. At least, to the extent that each person believes in the reality of this kind of investigations.
The movie leaves out some of the more gruesome aspects of the real case, such as those related to the couple’s infidelities and the presence of a hypothetical succubus, to focus on the other side: the violence of the poltergeists. This makes this installment one where the factor of terror is balanced with a point of tension, as the Warrens encounter particularly violent spirits that will not only be difficult to deal with, but also difficult to cope with the consequences of their actions.
According to the film’s director, Michael Chaves, the previous film in the saga, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, would open a new chapter for the Warrens. And it is evident in the slight change of tone of the film. But also in the success of the film.
Released on September 5 in theaters, with a substantial budget of 55 million dollars, it has nearly reached 500 million dollars in revenue. This makes it the highest-grossing film of the franchise, the highest-grossing horror film of the year, and the second highest-grossing film of the year, pending what happens in the remainder of the year.
Unfortunately, the critics have not shared the enthusiasm that has been shown at the box office. With a 59% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 54 on Metacritic, it is the second worst-rated film in the franchise, only behind The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. And although audience satisfaction and their reviews are much more positive, they are not spectacular numbers that would prevent them from feeling like a potential problem in future installments of The Conjuring.
If you want to see what all the fuss is about with The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, it arrives on HBO Max on November 21 for all subscribers of the platform. Looking to give it another boost and continue profiting from a movie that, if nothing else, has been one of the big commercial successes of the year for Warner Bros.
