James Wan Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of veteran director James Wan. 

James Wan's Filmography Ranked:

7.Death Sentence (D+)

6.Insidious (C-)

5.The Conjuring 2 (B-)

4.Saw (B)

3.The Conjuring (B+)

2.Aquaman (B+)

1.Furious 7 (A)

Top Dog: Furious 7 (2015)

Wan's first venture into the world of blockbuster filmmaking couldn't have possibly gone any better. He handled everything from the franchise's signature over-the-top action to the tragic mid-production death of star Paul Walker that caused the entire plot of the film to be re-framed with the utmost grace, which made Furious 7 a unique, moving standout in this long-running series.

Low Light: Death Sentence (2007)

With its legit tension and well-constructed mystery/horror hybrid narrative, Saw was a pretty impressive directorial debut for the then 26-year old Wan. The second of his pair of follow-up projects released in 2007 (the other being the long-forgotten marionette supernatural horror movie Dead Silence) was a steep regression that demonstrated just how green he still was. This vigilante action thriller's uneven pacing, cheesy dialogue and overly dramatic acting killed any chances it had of being a fun piece of trash entertainment. 

Most Underrated: Aquaman (2018)

The start of the current potential DCU renaissance can be linked back to Aquaman. Wan set out to make an unapologetically cheesy fantasy adventure epic to introduce the masses to this much-maligned character that had been teased in a pair of earlier DCU entries (Batman v. Superman, Justice League) and everyone from the actors to the visual effects team fully committed to that vision and it shows in every frame of this remarkably well-made movie.  

Most Overrated: Insidious (2011)

Whenever someone asks me to name an example of a movie that starts out strong and ends poorly, Insidious is always the first title out of my mouth. The first half of the movie does a great job of building a slowly intensifying atmosphere of dread before taking an abrupt turn to Trash City USA with a final stretch powered by cheap jump scares and outlandish, unintentionally hilarious plot developments. 

Biggest Contribution to the Horror Movie Landscape: The Conjuring (2013)

This is a tough call because Wan has arguably done the most to shape the horror genre of any director since Wes Craven, but The Conjuring slightly edges out the rest of his work in terms of legacy. Not only did this terrific haunted house drama launch an entire universe of films and see Wan finally put together a fully cohesive project that built off the promise he showed in the past, its successful eerie atmosphere/jump scares/storytelling balance directly influenced an entire wave of similar movies (A Quiet Place, Lights Out, Oujia) and will likely continue to do so for generations to come.