The Conjuring (2013) is a horror film that claims to be based on true events investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren. It is first split between the lives of Ed and Lorraine Warren, who work in the field of demonology, and the home life of the Perron family. The film later combines these two groups as they try to rid the family of a demon that is following them. The beginning of the film starts off with an introduction to what Ed and Lorraine do for a living (their credibility) by showing an interview they had with two girls who are haunted by a demon that attached itself to a doll named Annabelle. By doing this, the film advertises for another film, Annabelle (2014) which is produced by the same company as The Conjuring, and introduces a creepy doll to set the tone for the rest of it. This beginning scene with Annabelle also serves the purpose of explaining how according to Ed and Lorraine, demons do not attach themselves to things like dolls or houses, they attach to people. This is why the Perrons cannot simply leave their house to get rid of their problem, hence the need for the Warrens. Ed and Lorraine Warren are portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, both of which have starred in other horror films. The film is set in the 1970s and mainly takes place at the Perron home which is old, rundown, and placed in the middle of nowhere. On one of the first days of living there, the father, Roger, uncovers a basement after one of the daughters accidentally breaks into the wall covering it up and unknowingly allows the spirit free roam around the house, letting it terrorize the rest of the Perron family.
Because The Conjuring is a film that recounts one of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s cases, the argument must be to frighten those who watch it and to teach about demonologists and validate their work. As stated above, the beginning of the film introduces Annabelle even though the doll situation is a completely separate case from the Perron family. Starting the movie off with a presentation about Annabelle was a move by the director to show the credibility of Ed and Lorraine in order for the audience to know who they are and the range of their work. The presentation was also useful because Ed and Lorraine admit that most of the time there are no spirits involved when people believe they are being haunted and joke about being called “kooks” which makes them seem like regular people and not crazy, ghost-chasing wannabes (5:33). The director makes another move to appeal to Ed and Lorraine’s credibility by inserting a documentary-esque style of writing over a black screen that states that the Warrens are recognized by the Catholic Church. The Perron family consists of parents Roger and Carolyn, a dog named Sadie, and five daughters: Christine, Andrea, Nancy, Cindy, and April. In the beginning of their story, the youngest daughter, April, is separated from the rest of her family and plays with a haunted toy box she found in the house. The rest of the girls begin playing a version of hide-and-go-seek in which the seeker is blindfolded but can request three claps from all players to hear where they are hiding. This is the point where the dark cellar is discovered and when the paranormal activity begins.
The targeted audience for this film is those who enjoy horror films in general or those who do not believe in paranormal activity or demonology. I think the horror in the film is successful because there is a lot of tension and anticipation accompanied with loud, stringy music which I find effective. One of the first scary moments in the films happens when something is tugging at Cindy’s feet, which I think is seen as a fear for a lot of children (and let’s face it, adults) because it is common to think something is under the bed. I think the most iconic scene from the movie occurs when the mother begins playing the hide-and-clap game and is led to a wardrobe by clapping that is not coming from her daughter. These scenes worked for this movie because they are small but frightening encounters that are believable to happen in a home. I do not, however, find this movie successful as a way to convince a doubtful audience that what Ed and Lorraine do is legit. Perhaps having actual footage of paranormal events would be more effective for this purpose, or footage of Ed and Lorraine actually doing home visits and interviews.
I rate this film 7/10 and would recommend it to people who are looking for a scary movie to watch. I think the plot of the movie is interesting and there are a lot of jump scares to keep people awake and feeling tense. I would not recommend it as a way to show who Ed and Lorraine Warren are because the movie seems too fictional to be informative about their work.
Traci is finishing out her degree in Human Development at The University of Texas. She became a fan of the horror genre at a very young age and watches just about every scary movie that comes out in theaters. She, too, likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.
Rhetoric of Horror 