The Conjuring: My Favorite Fright
A demonic nun, a room full of wooden crosses, and, of course, the iconic possessed doll. These are just a few of the bone-chilling scenes featured in the hit movie franchise The Conjuring. The fourth and final movie was finally released in September, titled The Conjuring: Last Rites, gaining fast popularity. The Conjuring has a special spark, making the audience eager for more parts of the series. This consistent series begs the question: What makes The Conjuring so popular?
The first movie of the series, titled The Conjuring, tells the story of real-life demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, who help rid families of lingering ghosts. The plot gained fast success, soon becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie in 2013. Given the grand applause from the audience, three sequels and seven spin-offs were made; some of which you may have heard of, such as The Nun, Annabella, and La Llorona.
While opinions differ on the spin-offs, there is no doubt that the original The Conjuring tetralogy is an amazing piece of horror. West High English teacher and horror movie enthusiast, Ms. Marquez, explained how the movie was unique compared to other horror films, “The Conjuring started to mix truth and fiction,” adding to the idea of the true story narrative.” This aspect of “based on a true story” evidently added to the movie’s appeal and scare level as seen in Rotten Tomatoes statistics. The Conjuring was rated third in “The 10 Scariest Horror Movies Ever,” even leading to an R-rating despite mild profanity and gore.
That’s the beauty of The Conjuring series; it’s genuinely terrifying without excessive gore or overdone jump scares, qualities that often overhype horror films. The simplicity of the story leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
That simplicity opens the doors to the film’s true heart: family. Throughout the series, the Warrens constantly face trouble balancing their work as paranormal investigators and their familial life. As paranormal activity becomes more unpredictable, couple Ed and Lorraine fight to protect each other. The sincere care for each other adds a surprising touch of warmth to the terror.
As the Warrens and other families overcome these roadblocks in their relationships, the audience sees them grow closer together. Seeing the characters grow isn’t the only reason the fandom loves the series. The franchise’s iconic moments add to its memorability. Horror fanatic Ella Hodge (10) described how “The Conjuring has iconic scenes and recurring ideas that are very memorable, such as the spirits communicating in sets of three. Things like that lead people to remember the movie.” She added that “The characters are memorable, especially Ed and Lorraine Warren coming back [in] every movie”.
The characters are memorable solely because they are well-rounded individuals with complex relationships — something the audience can relate with. “Their relationships are so real, and the stories make me feel bad for the people who are getting affected by the demons,” Maram Al-Omari (10) admitted. The characters’ relationships are so realistic, and The Conjuring succeeds in creating heartwarming scenes without being overdramatic.
For twelve years, the franchise united fans worldwide, and now it is coming to an end. Despite this, the series created a lasting impact that brought people together. Ms. Marquez reminisced a watch party for the movie’s release, which prompted her to meet her current boyfriend and friends. She stated that “[The Conjuring] brings people together because they all want to enjoy the experience and laugh afterwards.”
It surprised me that a film so chilling made die-hard fans form meaningful relationships in their own lives. The Conjuring is more than a scary movie. It’s a unique cinematic masterpiece with characters that feel real and fears feel authentic. I am excited to see how The Conjuring: Last Rites ends the incredible series and how its legacy will live on.
