With eight films and at least two more on the way, The Conjuring universe is the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time. Yes, demon hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren (the best horror movie couple ever) beat out established universes like Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Portrayed in the franchise by actors Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, the real-life Warrens claimed they investigated thousands of supernatural cases. Likewise, The Conjuring movies announce themselves with the creepiest of descriptions: “based on a true story.” Critics have questioned the validity of the Warrens’ claims for decades. It’s a valid impulse — whether you fall into the believer camp or the skeptic camp (or the neighboring “I don’t care” tent), the biggest appeal behind all things supernatural is the lack of conclusive proof. Every discovery or eyewitness account can be debunked as a hoax as much as they can be interpreted as evidence. With opinions strongly differing and the truth of these cases only known to those involved, all we can do is pull a Dragnet and report “just the facts.” When it comes to The Conjuring‘s nuts and bolts, how accurate are these spooktacular masterpieces?
