The Devil Made Me Do It delves into the case of Arne Johnson, a man who murders his landlord. Claiming that he was under the influence of a demon, and turns to a team of demonologists to prove it. The relationship between Ed and Lorraine drives the emotional core of every film. The Devil Made Me Do It follows the same tradition by becoming the third Conjuring part to feature the Warrens.
The return of Farmiga and Wilson, along with the solid performances from the rest of the crew; are among the best reasons to watch. The film offers some memorable and chilling sequences and remains mostly nuanced throughout.
The Devil Made Me Do It, however, takes a slightly different approach from its antagonist. Instead of creating a new distinctive demon, this sequel opts for a human villain; an occultist who curses Arne (played by O’Connor) by sending a nameless and rarely seen on-screen demon after him. It serves as one of the weaker points of the film as the occultist isn’t as intimidating as the demonic villains of previous films, reducing the viewers’ fear.
The film also shows signs of fatigue in the franchise by recycling some of the same visuals and scares that have been used in previous installments, such as the effect of a body contorting and cracking when it is possessed (Annabelle: Creation), the villain transforming into a friendly character to trick others (multiple installments) and the screaming demon suddenly appearing when a character turns around (The Curse of La Llorona).
Admittedly, these scare tactics and scenes appear in almost every mainstream supernatural horror flick. But in the case of the Conjuring Universe; we see the scenes recreated with similar settings, special effects, and the same characters.