Halloween is nearly here! That means our 31 Days of Halloween is nearly at its end. Because it’s Halloween week, we’re dedicating the remaining entries to films that really go big on the scares. For our final Supernatural Spooks Tuesday, it doesn’t get much bigger than The Conjuring, a 2013 box office juggernaut. The James Wan-directed spookfest proved horror could thrive in the summer blockbuster months and launched an ever-expanding Conjuring universe filled with sequels and spinoffs.
Synopsis: In 1971, the Perron family move into a bargain-priced farmhouse fixer upper. It doesn’t take long before strange activity begins, and it escalates into a terrifying paranormal haunting that poses a serious threat to the family’s well being. They turn to paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren for help.
Key Players: Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga created two of horror’s most loveable characters in Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Perron family is played by Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, Mackenzie Foy, and Kyla Deaver. Look for the film’s composer Joseph Bishara to make an appearance as the evil entity Bathsheba. Fun trivia: Bishara also played the Lipstick-Face Demon in Insidious, proving the composer is well versed in scaring audiences.
Why It’s on the List: The Conjuring set the chilling tone right off the bat with a strong opener that introduces both the Warrens and the inhuman entities they encounter. In this case, creepy doll Annabelle. It never eases up on the scares or atmosphere either. Each and every member of the Perron family deal with their own personal paranormal encounters, from wardrobe nightmares to goosebumps-inducing games of Hide-and-Go-Clap and beyond. No matter how you feel about the real-life Warrens, Wilson and Farmiga make their on-screen counterparts insanely charming. All of this, with the retro horror vibe, makes it easy to see why this box office darling enticed viewers of all types into the world of horror.
Annabelle Returns?: The evil plaguing the Perron family home is strong, and this nightmarish scene indicates just how far-reaching it can be. Because it’s not too happy about the Warrens’ interference with its plans, it targets them through their daughter, Judy, by unleashing Annabelle. Or does it? Either way, it’s effectively spooky.
Where You Can Watch: The Conjuring is currently available on Netflix.
