The Conjuring: What lurks around the corner will keep you on edge in The Conjuring.

In horror it’s nearly impossible to come up with something new, so execution is key. Editing, sound and camera angles are essential in making us jump and scream. When done well it doesn’t matter if the audience has seen it before, a good jolt will get them every time. When not done well, audiences tune out and start to laugh. It’s sluggish at times, but ultimately The Conjuring is done quite well.

Based on the real-life exploits of paranormal investigators Ed Warren and his wife Lorraine, director James Wan’s (Insidious) story follows a haunted house premise that leads to demonic possession and exorcism. In 1971 Rhode Island the Perron family – headed by father Roger (Ron Livingston) and mother Carolyn (Lili Taylor), and including five daughters – move into an abandoned Massachusetts home they purchased at auction. Soon, birds are flying into windows. Pictures fall from the wall. Carolyn wakes up with bruises. Doors close at random. The smell of rotting flesh is omnipresent. Feet are pulled during sleep. “Get out of the house!” we think, only to learn later that doing so wouldn’t solve this problem.

For help the Perrons call upon renowned demonologist Ed (Patrick Wilson) and the clairvoyant Lorraine (Vera Farmiga), who kindly do not charge for their services. They do inform the Perrons of how perilous their situation is, and rest assured it’s a doozy.

The film runs 112 minutes, and the first hour is slow, trotting through familiar paces while not bringing much creativity. Worse, some characters make the mistake of doing things characters in a horror movie should never do. For example, Roger ventures to the previously boarded up basement with only a match in his hand. We know he owns a flashlight because the next day he returns to the basement with it, so why he’d go down with only a match is anyone’s guess. And for the love of mercy, if you you see a ghost, don’t follow it alone!

It takes about an hour for the Perrons to ask the Warrens to come to their home, but once they do writers Chad and Carey Hayes (they’re twin brothers) throw a few twists into the mix. The pace quickens as the story kicks into gear in terms of tempo and scares.

Although Wan is expert at keeping us in suspense before delivering the well-timed frights, everything has an eerie ambiance. Even daytime scenes are a bit dark, and the cars, costumes and production design are ’70s tacky but never flashy. Also note the “vertigo” effect used at times when we view the outside of the house, making it appear unnaturally bigger when it should remain normal size. This allows the house to overwhelm the screen, almost as if the demons residing there are trying to look big and intimidating.

The Conjuring is rated R, but in no way is it gory or hyper-violent. This is a story of ghosts and demons, and to Wan’s credit the slow start was necessary in order to fully appreciate the payoff. Anyone who enjoys a good scare will not want to miss this.

THE CONJURING (3)• Directed by James Wan •Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor •Rated R •112 min •At Maya Cinemas, Century Cinemas Del Monte, Northridge Cinemas, Cannery Row XD.