The Conjuring Universe has had reasonable results since 2013, with only one or two disappointing movies in the franchise, this was the eighth instalment and I was glad to be able to go to the reopened cinemas to see it, directed by Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona). Basically, set in 1981, young David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard) is possessed by a demonic spirit that wants the boy's soul. A priest attempts to perform an exorcism, but it looks hopeless. Hoping to get the spirit out of the boy's body, family friend Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O'Connor) commands the spirit to leave the child's body and take him instead. The spirit leaves David's body and enters Arne, before seemingly disappearing. Meanwhile, paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) continue to do what they are now famous for, while also trying to maintain a home life with daughter Judy (Sterling Jerins). Elsewhere, Arne suddenly finds the evil spirit has returned and takes over his body, and the next thing he knows he finds himself walking along a road, stopped by a police officer as he is covered in blood. Arne is arrested for the suspected murder of his landlord, but in court, for the first time in U. S. history, he claims demonic possession as a defence. The Warrens are called to take on his case and investigate to prove his innocence. They return to the places the spirit was known to possess and attack people. Along the way the Warrens also talk to people they meet about how they meet and married in their teens. There is a point when they meet with Kastner (The Lord of the Rings' John Noble) who may have had his own experiences with the demonic spirit himself. The Warrens do indeed have their own violent encounters with the demon. In the end, despite the Warrens backing up his defence in court, Arne is sent to prison, charged with manslaughter, though he only served five years of a 10-to-20-year sentence. Also starring Sarah Catherine Hook as Debbie Glatzel, Eugenie Bondurant as The Occultist, Shannon Kook as Drew Thomas, Ronnie Gene Blevins as Bruno Sauls, Keith Arthur Bolden as Sergeant Clay, Steve Coulter as Father Gordon, Vince Pisani as Father Newman, Mitchell Hoog as young Ed Warren, and Megan Ashley Brown as young Lorraine Warren. Farmiga and Wilson reprise their roles and most engaging as the (real-life) duo, the story was reasonable, some jump scares I expected, one or two I didn't, and there were good special effects for the evil things going bump in the night, it was an alright supernatural horror. Worth watching!
