Since the first movie came out in 2013,The Conjuring Universehas become one of the most terrifying and successful franchises in cinema.The Conjuring Universeis a defining facet of modern horror movies, and has producedsome of the scariest moments the genre has ever seen. With its mix of the supernatural, real-life haunting cases, and ancient curses,The Conjuringis a franchise that consistently places audiences on the edge of their seats.
It’s important to note thatevery single movie withinThe Conjuring Universeis scary in some way, shape, or form.Some of these movies do this in a better way than others, creating long-lasting suspense and build-up, while others rely on jump scares that don’t necessarily have the same effect. What sets some of the installments inThe Conjuringapart is their ability to break away from traditional horror tropes, creating a true sense of psychological dread.
The firstAnnabellefilm is often seen as one ofThe Conjuring’s weakest, both in terms of narrative and its ability to scare audiences.In fact, some people believeThe Conjuringfranchise is better off without it. As a spinoff of the first movie,Annabellefollows the story of the titular doll as she becomes possessed by a satanic demon and torments a young couple.
Scary Movie 6: Melissa Barrera Addresses Possible Interest In Parody Sequel After Scream 7 Firing
Scream 6 actor Melissa Barrera gives her opinion on the possibility of appearing in parody sequel Scary Movie 6, following her Scream 7 firing.
It serves as an interesting entry into the franchise, but ultimately fails to invoke the same sense of true horror that otherConjuringmovies have been able to. Annabelleis heavily reliant on jump scares and familiar scary tropes,making the movie fail to stand out among the rest.
This is particularly harmful when one considers thatAnnabellewas released just a year afterThe Conjuringitself, a movie that completely reshaped the modern horror landscape.However, a notable scary moment inAnnabellethat is executed well is the basement scene, which sees Mia (Annabelle Wallis) being tormented and chased by the demonic force that is possessing the doll.
The third installment in the mainConjuringseries,The Devil Made Me Do Itcertainly tells a compelling and unique story. The movie focuses more on the legal implications of claiming that possession by the devil makes one unaccountable for one’s crimes, and it makes for interesting viewing.
However, this tonal shift means thatThe Devil Made Me Do Itsacrifices some of the more spine-chilling moments that make the franchise so great.The plot centers around Arne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor) as he faces trial for murder, and enlists the help of the Warrens to plead his case.
The movie’s opening scene in which a nine-year-old boy is exorcised is one of the most harrowing and grotesque moments of the entire franchise.
The Devil Made Me Do Itis actually based on the first trial in US history in which demonic possession was claimed as a defense,but this doesn’t always make for scary viewing. Nevertheless, the movie’s opening scene in which a nine-year-old boy is exorcised is one of the most harrowing and grotesque moments of the entire franchise, andcertainly elevates the scariness ofThe Devil Made Me Do It.
This movie is a unique entry in theConjuringUniverse, asThe Curse of La Lloronaexists completely outside the franchise’s overarching narrative.Drawing inspiration from Mexican folklore, the movie introduces the tale of La Llorona, also known as The Weeping Woman, to the universe. La Llorona is a vengeful spirit who preys on children, making the premise of the movie intriguing, but ultimately,The Curse of La Lloronafalls flat in providing genuine horrific scares for audiences.
The movie does have some particularly terrifying highlights, but fails to keep this consistency throughout it.The Curse of La Lloronaoften resorts to jump scares to scare viewers, which, while effective in the short-run, ends up detracting from the eeriness of the overall story. Nevertheless, a particularly harrowing and unsettling moment comes when Anna (Linda Cardellini) is attacked by La Llorona in her pool as she attempts to save her daughter from the demon.
The latest entry in theConjuring Universe,The Nun IIbuilds on the groundwork laid by the originalNunmovie.In many ways it is similar to its predecessor, being set in 1950s France as the tale of the demonic Valak continues to unfold.Taissa Farmiga returns as Sister Irene, the only person to have faced Valak in the previous movie and survived, as she is called to investigate a series of deaths attributed to the demon.
Like the original,The Nun IImakes heavy use of the gothic atmosphere to bring fear to the big screen, and certainly builds on the narrative set by its predecessor.
However, the scares are short-lived and don’t really hold up to what audiences have come to expect from theConjuring Universe, with there being a notable lack of sustained tension throughout the movie. Narratively,The Nun IIis an improvement over its predecessor, but it never quite reaches the heights of fear that the franchise has become so renowned for.
The third movie in theAnnabelleseriesis one of the most interesting premises of the entireConjuring Universe.It tells the story of the Warrens as they decide to bring the infamous Annabelle doll back to their house.However, once the doll has been returned to the Warrens' haunted artifact room, it begins to unleash the other evil spirits that are trapped inside.
This rather chaotic premise means thatAnnabelle Comes Homedoes invoke a sense of constant tension throughout.The claustrophobic setting of the Warrens' house and artifact room gives the movie unique room to scare its audience. However, it has to be said that the occasional comedic relief and somewhat lighter tone makes it impossible forAnnabelle Comes Hometo truly scare audiences in the same way as other movies in theConjuring Universehave done.
WhileThe Nunreceived a mixed to negative reception from critics and audiences alike following its release, it’s impossible to criticize the movie for its scare factor.The Nunis a spinoff story revolving around Valak, the terrifying demon who appeared inThe Conjuring 2.It is set in 1950s Romania as Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) is sent to a convent to investigate a mysterious death at the hands of the demonic nun.
The movie’s opening scene has become as iconic as it is terrifying, as a scared nun chooses to die by suicide rather than let Valak possess her.
The gothic setting, the religious iconography, and the terrifying presence of Valak all combine to makeThe Nuna terrifying addition to theConjuring Universe.The movie’s opening scene has become as iconic as it is terrifying, as a scared nun chooses to die by suicide rather than let Valak possess her. However, the narrative weaknesses ofThe Nunmean that some of the scares have a diminished impact, as they fail to fit into the story in a cohesive or sound way.
The prequel toAnnabelle,Annabelle: Creationis often regarded as one of the best movies in theConjuring Universe.It breathed new life into the franchise whileexploring the terrifying origins of Annabelle herself. It follows the story of a dollmaker and his wife, as they take a nun and orphaned girls into their home. When one of the girls discovers Annabelle locked away in a closet, a powerful demon is released that begins to torment the characters.
A major step up from its predecessor, both narratively and scare-wise,Annabelle: Creationexcels at building tension and allowing these scares to pay off.The sheer malevolence of the doll and its demonic possession manages to invoke a true sense of horror, particularly concerning the character of Janice (Talitha Bateman). One of the movies scariest scenes is when the demon targets Janice for her soul, injuring her severely and leaving her in a wheelchair.
The Conjuringwas the first in the Conjuring Universe, and remains to this day as one of the scariest supernatural horror films in modern cinema.The Conjuringintroduces audiences to demonologists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) as they investigate the haunting of the Perron’s family home. It’s a masterful blend of tension and dread that invokes a true sense of horrifying, unbearable fear.
Rather than just relying on jump scares,The Conjuringcrafts an unsettling atmosphere through unnerving silences, creaking floorboards, and off-screen noises.Every scene feels possessed by the demons that the Warrens are trying to catch, all culminating in the movie’s climactic exorcism scene.One of the most brilliantly horrifying moments ofThe Conjuringis the infamous “hide and clap” scene, when Carolyn (Lili Taylor) is led into the basement, before a pair of hands reaches out and claps, extinguishing her only source of light.
The Conjuring 2
Cast
The sequel to 2013’s horror hit, The Conjuring 2 is a supernatural horror film that again follows Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators who travel to London to investigate the case of the Hodgson family. When one of the Hodgson’s daughters becomes seemingly possessed after playing with an Ouija board, supernatural occurrences begin happening all over the home.
The Conjuring 2is undoubtedly the scariest movieinThe Conjuring Universe.Set in London in 1977, the Warrens are sent to investigate the infamous real-life Enfield haunting. What putsThe Conjuring 2so high up above the rest is its sheer intensity. It introduces the demonic Valak, and builds tensions through atmospheric dread, unsettling noises and religious iconography.
Undoubtedly the most iconic and terrifying scare inThe Conjuring 2comes when Ed is staring into a zoetrope toy with the figure of a crooked man walking round. The figure disappears from the toy, before Ed looks up and sees the Crooked Man has materialized in front of him and begins to chase him. Unsettling beyond belief, and with a solid narrative and incredible performances,The Conjuring 2is a truly terrifying masterclass in how to scare your audience.
