The great Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston are the family with five daughters (now that's scary...) who move into the farm house and quickly realize they are in way over their heads. This is the kind of horror film about a dark presence and the Warrens have had so much experience with demons and ghosts that they treat it as just a different kind of science. Until they get to this house.
The seventies mood is pulpy, but really fits and Wan does a sensational job of making you really feel for the characters - for the Warrens, for the Perron family - you're always on their side, terrified that something awful will happen to one of them.
There's a very effective and refreshing simplicity to The Conjuring, which probably helps explain why it connected so well with audiences. The cinematography by John R. Leonetti employs lots of close-quarters atmosphere and a wide range of shadows.
Wan shows no restraint when it comes to referencing predecessors. The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror, The Haunting, The Birds and Poltergeist all make telling references here. Wan turns the screws on the audience to strong effect - and he's not shy about tossing in the genre kitchen sink. The family dog, the evil doll, the creepy music box, the derelict cellar - if The Conjuring has a weakness, it's that much of it is very familiar.
That said, it's so lean and effective you're not likely to care. The freshest elements of the film are the Warrens - these two earnest and committed night stalkers hint at a rich mythology - and plenty of franchise potential. I'd love to read up on them and learn more about what they've dealt with. If you're looking for a great modern descendant to the films mentioned above, definitely make a date with The Conjuring - but not if you're moving into a new house...
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