- Famed paranormal thriller series The Conjuring takes artistic liberties in its portrayal of the real-life Warrens and their investigations.
- Danny Robins, a paranormal expert, humorously critiques the film for quickly abandoning skepticism and jumping to conclusions about demonic presence.
- The Conjuring universe often leans more towards thrills over authenticity, as seen in films like the Annabelle trilogy and The Nun 2.
The chilling universe of The Conjuring film series, based on actual paranormal events and investigations, may not be as close to reality as one would think, according to paranormal expert Danny Robins. In a recent interview, Robins questioned the creative liberties taken in portraying the dynamic duo of Ed and Lorraine Warren, as well as the consistency of the series in maintaining authenticity to real-life stories.
While The Conjuring is inspired by a genuine haunting of the Perron family in Rhode Island, the film series not only offers a bone-chilling experience but has also paved the way for a sprawling horror universe. Some of the films in the series touch on actual occurrences, while others undoubtedly take a more free-handed approach.
In a recently released video, Robins dissects the authenticity of The Conjuring’s on-screen paranormal phenomena and humorously criticizes the film’s portrayal of the Warrens for quick assumptions about demonic presence based on minimal evidence. He says, “The Warrens are wandering around going, ‘It might not be ghosts, it could be a skeptic explanation.’ And as soon as they get in the house, they’re like, ‘Bad smell, gotta be demons.'”
Robins further points out the overarching issue of the entire Conjuring universe, which deviates from real-life stories and prioritizes unapologetic thrills over authenticity. He cites an example from the film with a demon supposedly lifting a child by the hair and doubts its veracity. Robins rates the film’s authenticity as a modest 1 out of 10 on the cinematic realism spectrum.
This creative differentiation can also be seen in films like the Annabelle trilogy and The Nun 2, which stem from the original Conjuring movie but skew towards captivating audiences with nail-biting terror rather than sticking to factual accounts. It appears that the trend of fictionalizing the Warrens’ investigations for cinematic flair will continue in future installments, such as the highly-anticipated The Conjuring: Last Rites.
Despite its apparent lack of full authenticity to the real-world inspirations, The Conjuring series has successfully managed to deliver chilling scares for its audiences. Even Robins, with his skeptical critique, admits to enjoying the film. The Conjuring series has undoubtedly established itself as a horror film triumph by striking a balance between authenticity and creative storytelling.