CBR's 31 Days of Halloween is a daily feature highlighting our staff's favorite horror movies to watch during the month of October. Reader, beware - you're in for a scare!
The Conjuring is a supernatural horror film that was released nearly a decade ago in 2013. The film was inspired by real-life events, including a couple named Ed and Lorraine Warren who were paranormal investigators. The couple often kept records of their haunting cases, which have been compiled into various narratives. One of their stories inspired The Amityville Horror novel in 1977, the first film in 1979 and the reboot film in 2005. Years later, another story of theirs would hit screens, and James Wan was selected as the director for The Conjuring in January 2012 when the film was originally titled The Warren Files before later changing the name.
In the 2000s, horror films were often slasher movies that relied on gory scenes and unsettling tropes to attract audiences. Wan had created another slasher franchise titled Saw before delving into different types of horror, including Insidious (2010), which brought genuine fear to audiences and diversified itself from others in the industry. The Conjuring went a step further by offering audiences a premise that focused on an actual ghost haunting, providing an alternative in the genre and giving audiences a film they could find terrifying.
What Is The Conjuring About?
The Conjuring's premise is set in 1970 and features a family of seven experiencing strange events in their new farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island. The spirit goes as far as to kill the family dog before Carolyn, the mother, contacts Ed and Lorraine for help. The Warrens were well known for their long history of paranormal investigation, making them the perfect service for Carolyn to save and protect her family.
The Warrens recently decided to take a break from their work, as they were feeling worn out. However, Lorraine's intuition led her to believe they should at least meet with the family and offer advice if possible. Ed was reluctant because he didn't want to continue to put his wife and himself within harm's reach, but he relented to satisfy her curiosity. Within minutes of being inside the farmhouse, Lorraine knew something was wrong.
Lorraine's clairvoyance gave her the ability to sense an entity within the home. She discovered it had the intention to cause harm to the family, so she convinced Ed to take on one more case. The Warrens, their team of experts and the family then worked together to fight against the spirits invading the home. Through a terrifying tale of twists and turns, the family endures increasingly terrifying events by an entity that wants to lay claim to the house.
Why James Wan's The Conjuring Is Mandatory Halloween Viewing
Part of The Conjuring's initial charm was that scary events began happening at the start of the film. In many other horror films at the time, the introductions to the characters would take over the first half of the movie. From there, some scary events would take place, and the protagonist would investigate the cause before discovering a sad backstory connected to the haunting entity. By the end, the spirit's goal had been to inform others of what had happened, but The Conjuring's approach was very different.
The family began experiencing supernatural events shortly after moving into their new home. The dog's death also came quick, which gave the film a chance to introduce the heroes of the story sooner than later-- the Warrens. There were humorous moments involving the team they assembled, as well, but the film's tone remained ominous. There were legitimate jump scares that displayed evidence that a haunting was real. The scares and story progression were interesting and kept audiences on the edges of their seats, wanting to know what would happen next rather than wishing the movie would skip ahead to the "scary parts."
The Conjuring also applied old-school horror tactics to the film that truly birthed a resurgence in the genre. Before slashers dominated the space, there were many terrifying films that people would sometimes prefer to watch rather than anything new at the time. Slashers definitely have their place in the industry, but the creepy tales of haunted houses were few and far between. The Conjuring, though, seemed to apply inspiration from classic films like The Exorcist and Poltergeist.
What also makes The Conjuring worth watching is the world the film created. Not only were more Conjuring films developed, but audiences were interested in the other characters who appeared. Annabelle and The Nun made their start in the film, which created their franchises. The film also produced two horror icons for the genre as Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga were labeled as "scream king and queen" after their various appearances in the franchise and other horror films.
How to Watch The Conjuring - Is It Streaming?
Since Halloween season is quickly approaching, there are a few ways to watch The Conjuring from the comfort of your home. The film is currently available for streaming on HBO Max, Philo and fuboTV. It is also scheduled to play on the AMC channel on Oct. 6 at 7 PM and Oct. 7 at 4 PM CST. Many horror fans can add this film to their watch list in the month of October.