The American supernatural horror film The Conjuring directed by James Wan revolves around the supernatural experiences of the Perron family, who moved into their new home at a farmhouse in Rhode Island in 1971.
The film is inspired by the real-life events of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s investigations of supernatural occurrences. The Perron family's home in Rhode Island was a living nightmare in the 1970s owing to a terrifying haunting by several evil entities. The Warrens became well-known due to the Perrons' experiences, and their later encounters influenced other movies in the Conjuring franchise, especially The Amityville Horror.
The exorcism scene in the movie was performed in real life by Lorraine Warren to speak to the haunting spirits residing in the house. Andrea, the oldest Perron kid, stated that she witnessed her mother Carolyn become possessed, speaking in tongues, and even floating above the floor in her chair.
The real-life story of The Conjuring
The real-life Perron family did move to an old farmhouse in Rhode Island before they began to experience what they described as frightening and disturbing paranormal activities, as shown in The Conjuring. Given that the real Perrons also had five daughters, the movie reflects the dynamics of the family very accurately. The home at the core of the story did, however, go through some significant changes in The Conjuring.
The movie reconstructs a version of the farmhouse in a studio in North Carolina, according to fact-checkers History vs. Hollywood. While it continues to exist in Harrisville, the actual Perron home is somewhat different in appearance and lacks its impressive multi-story exterior.
Andrea, the eldest Perron daughter, commented that the family would never enter the basement in an interview with USA Today during the theatrical debut of The Conjuring. The only exception would be if Roger had to make repairs because the heating failed. During his time there, he would "feel this cold, stinking presence beside him." Andrea added that other unexplainable phenomena included the stench of rotten flesh arriving at random, beds floating at night, creepy whispering, and an exorcism performed on Carolyn Perron (just as it was portrayed in the film).
Other real-life cases in The Conjuring universe
Besides the Perron family haunting case, several other supernatural encounters have been the base of the narratives in The Conjuring franchise. These cases were witnessed and solved by the Warrens. Below is a list of those:
Bathsheba Sherman (The Conjuring)
The Enfield Poltergeist (The Conjuring 2)
The Amityville Horror (The Conjuring 2)
Arne Cheyenne Johnson (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It)
The Demon Valak (The Nun)
The Haunted Borley Church (The Nun)
Lorraine Warren’s Ghostly Encounter (The Nun)
The Possessed Raggedy Ann Doll (Annabelle)
FAQs on The Conjuring
The Conjuring franchise is reportedly based on true events from Ed and Lorraine Warren's cases.
Conjuring 1 and 2 are inspired by real-life horror experiences. However, the movies may have changed certain details for dramatization.
The story of The Nun II is based on a true legend. Although the film differs from its true origins, it establishes a connection between Irene and Lorraine Warren.
