Editorials
How ‘The Conjuring’ Universe Defined a Decade of Horror
*Keep up with our ongoing end of the decade coverage here*
Every decade has a certain set of horror movies that define it. That certain group of movies that hits the right tone, captures audiences perfectly and is the first thing that you think of when that particular time period comes up. For the 70s, it was those movies that pushed the envelope and broke new ground in an uncertain era – The Exorcist. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. For the 80s, it was the slasher cycle. Hundreds of slasher films came and went over a few short years, but the big franchises stand out in front for the way they created characters that would last and become the new faces of horror – Halloween, Friday the 13th and the Nightmare on Elm Street films. In the 90s, we saw a return to masked killers that also incorporated a witty writing style and casts of chic young actors. The Scream franchise led the way. In the 2000s, we saw a rise in ultra-violent films like the Saw series and the Hostel films.
As we wrap up the 2010s, it’s interesting to look back and see how horror has changed and what was really popular during this period. Of all the movies that were released this decade, the ones that will most define this period will be the films of The Conjuring Universe.
What began in 2013 with a single ghost story has ballooned to be one of the most successful horror franchises of all time. In keeping with the current trend of cinematic universes (which will also mark this decade), the series has developed beyond simply a series of sequels and has created its own web of stories that has spanned six years and seven films, and continues to grow.
The Conjuring (2013)
The road to bringing The Conjuring to the screen was a long one, beginning about 20 years prior, when producer Tony DeRosa-Grund met with Ed Warren to discuss the case of the Perron Family – the story that the script would come to be based on. DeRosa-Grund tried to get the film made for years, but it never quite materialized. Deals were formed with Golden Circle Films (who had made A Haunting in Connecticut, based on another of the Warrens’ cases) and Summit Entertainment, but nothing ever made it to the finish line. Finally, a deal was struck with New Line, James Wan was brought on board to direct and produce the script from Chad and Carey Hayes, and the story finally made it to the screen.
Set in the 1970s, the story followed the Perron family as they move into a farmhouse in rural Rhode Island, only to discover that the property has a dark history, as a malevolent entity begins to threaten their family. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga were cast in the roles of Ed and Lorraine Warren, and offer up a duo that is not only defined by their ghost hunting, but by their chemistry and relationship to one another. Their kindness is front and center throughout the film and gives the characters depth in a way that is not commonly explored in films like this.
The Conjuring won over audiences and critics alike, opening the door for New Line to not only make sequels, but to expand the story out in multiple directions simultaneously.
Annabelle (2014)
From there, as they were developing a sequel to The Conjuring, New Line also decided to create a spin-off film based on the Annabelle Doll that made a brief appearance at the beginning of the first film. Since the most famous story of the doll was already told during that scene, screenwriter Gary Dauberman chose to create an origin story for the doll, in which she starts out as an antique in a child’s bedroom, but becomes possessed by a malevolent spirit after a cult member breaks into the house and dies by suicide in the room where Annabelle is kept. The homeowners, John and Mia, find themselves plagued by the entity and eventually learn that it intends to take a human soul.
The film did well financially, but was a big disappointment for fans of The Conjuring, as it lacked both the pacing and the effectiveness of the first story.
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
2016 saw the return of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the Warrens in The Conjuring 2. James Wan returned to the director’s chair, and also co-wrote the script, along with Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes and David Leslie Johnson. This film briefly touches on the Warrens’ investigation into the Amityville haunting, before traveling to England to investigate the Enfield Poltergeist. They are sent there by the Catholic Church to determine if the stories being told by a working class family concerning a haunting in their home are true, or if they are instead an elaborate hoax.
In reality, Ed and Lorraine did determine this particular incident to be a hoax, but in the film, the family is ensnared by the power of a demonic spirit that not only manipulates the ghost of the former owner of the home, but also appears as a monstrous nun. This new adversary, while defeated in The Conjuring 2, would be the next focal point of the cinematic universe, as it was a successful villain that terrified audiences.
The film was massively successful and also introduced the world to the joys that can be found in watching Patrick Wilson sing and play guitar.
Annabelle Creation (2017)
The following year, a prequel was made to the less than stellar Annabelle film. Annabelle Creation takes place in 1955 as a middle-aged couple, Esther (Mirando Otto) and Samuel Mullins (Anthony LaPaglia) open their home to a nun (Stephanie Sigman) and a group of girls after their orphanage closes down. Janice (Talitha Bateman), a girl who has been disabled by the effects of polio, finds a doll that had belonged to the couple’s deceased daughter, Annabelle. When Janice begins behaving strangely, Esther confesses that the couple had been so distraught when their daughter died that they agreed to allow what they thought to be her spirit to inhabit the doll. As it turns out, the spirit in question was a demonic entity playing on their grief.
Gary Dauberman returned to write the script, and David F. Sandberg came aboard to direct. The film was a critical and box office success and was a huge step forward from the previous Annabelle entry. It told a new story while still tying itself back to everything that had already been established in the mythology.
The Nun (2018)
In 2018, the terrifying demon nun, Valak, got her moment in the spotlight. The Nun was written by Gary Dauberman and directed by Corin Hardy. It is set in 1953 and tells the story of Irene (Taissa Farmiga), a novice nun and Father Burke (Demien Bichir) who are called to a Romanian monastery to investigate the mysterious circumstances following the suicide of a nun on the property. Upon their arrival, they learn that a demonic entity that has been imprisoned within the walls of the abbey has been released. The nuns pray in shifts to attempt to keep the evil at bay, but are quickly losing ground. This evil, known as Valak, takes the form of a nun and must be once again sealed in her prison before it can escape the grounds and bring corruption wherever it goes.
The Nun was met with mixed reviews. Though it had a classic horror setting and atmosphere, the editing was shaky and the film didn’t flow like its predecessors.
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
Based on a Latin American folktale, The Curse of La Llorona follows Anna (Linda Cardellini), a social worker sent to investigate the disappearance of two young boys. When she arrives at their house, she finds the children locked in a room. She calls the police, and has their mother, Patricia (Patricia Alvarez), arrested. Patricia claimed to be locking the boys away for their own protection. The boys later turn up dead, and Anna’s own children begin experiencing strange happenings around their home. It seems Anna’s involvement in the case has brought her under the curse of the dreaded spirit La Llorona. Realizing that the spirit is powerful, she turns to the Church for help in banishing the entity.
The Curse of La Llorona’s place in The Conjuring Universe is not as obvious as the other films, and was only really known when the film was released. The La Llorona spirit was never a part of any of the prior films and the movie wasn’t marketed as a Conjuring film or as having any relation to the franchise. The connection itself is small, and lies in the appearance of Father Perez (Tony Amendola), the priest who counseled the couple in Annabelle.
The film received poor reviews, many of which cited the overuse of jump scares and the lack of a well-formed storyline.
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
The second series entry for 2019 was the third film to focus on the Annabelle doll. Annabelle Comes Home sees Gary Dauberman returning once again, but this time, taking over the director’s chair and directing from his own script. The film brings the Annabelle story back to the Warrens. It takes place after they have acquired the doll and locked her away in their artifacts room. Ed and Lorraine take an overnight trip for an investigation and ask Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman) to babysit their daughter, Judy (McKenna Grace). Mary Ellen’s friend, Daniela (Katie Sarife) tags along and beings to explore the items in the artifacts room. Of course, she lets a bunch of supernatural creatures loose and the girls have to contain the disaster before Ed and Lorraine return home.
The film is a bit of a departure in tone from the rest of the series. It certainly has some scary moments, but it is all done with a sense of fun. This film is a scary sleepover that invites the audience along for the festivities. While Annabelle is definitely our main antagonist, she’s not the only thing the character have to contend with. A werewolf, a spectral ferryman and an evil bride all make appearances, adding to the supernatural chaos of the story and potentially offering up new villains for future installments.
The decade might be winding down, but The Conjuring Universe certainly isn’t. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are set to return to the series in 2020 with The Conjuring 3, a sequel to The Nun has been announced, and a film focusing on The Crooked Man from The Conjuring 2 is also in the works. As long as audiences continue to have an interest in supernatural horror, these films will continue to lead the pack and the universe will continue to expand to include more stories, more supernatural villains, and more scares.
Here’s what we know about Longlegs so far. It’s coming in July of 2024, it’s directed by Osgood Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter), and it features Maika Monroe (It Follows) as an FBI agent who discovers a personal connection between her and a serial killer who has ties to the occult. We know that the serial killer is going to be played by none other than Nicolas Cage and that the marketing has been nothing short of cryptic excellence up to this point.
At the very least, we can assume NEON’s upcoming film is going to be a dark, horror-fueled hunt for a serial killer. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five disturbing serial killers-versus-law-enforcement stories to get us even more jacked up for Longlegs.
MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003)
This South Korean film directed by Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) is a wild ride. The film features a handful of cops who seem like total goofs investigating a serial killer who brutally murders women who are out and wearing red on rainy evenings. The cops are tired, unorganized, and border on stoner comedy levels of idiocy. The movie at first seems to have a strange level of forgiveness for these characters as they try to pin the murders on a mentally handicapped person at one point, beating him and trying to coerce him into a confession for crimes he didn’t commit. A serious cop from the big city comes down to help with the case and is able to instill order.
But still, the killer evades and provokes not only the police but an entire country as everyone becomes more unstable and paranoid with each grizzly murder and sex crime.
I’ve never seen a film with a stranger tone than Memories of Murder. A movie that deals with such serious issues but has such fallible, seemingly nonserious people at its core. As the film rolls on and more women are murdered, you realize that a lot of these faults come from men who are hopeless and desperate to catch a killer in a country that – much like in another great serial killer story, Citizen X – is doing more harm to their plight than good.
Major spoiler warning: What makes Memories of Murder somehow more haunting is that it’s loosely based on a true story. It is a story where the real-life killer hadn’t been caught at the time of the film’s release. It ends with our main character Detective Park (Song Kang-ho), now a salesman, looking hopelessly at the audience (or judgingly) as the credits roll. Over sixteen years later the killer, Lee Choon Jae, was found using DNA evidence. He was already serving a life sentence for another murder. Choon Jae even admitted to watching the film during his court case saying, “I just watched it as a movie, I had no feeling or emotion towards the movie.”
In the end, Memories of Murder is a must-see for fans of the subgenre. The film juggles an almost slapstick tone with that of a dark murder mystery and yet, in the end, works like a charm.
CURE (1997)
If you watched 2023’s Hypnotic and thought to yourself, “A killer who hypnotizes his victims to get them to do his bidding is a pretty cool idea. I only wish it were a better movie!” Boy, do I have great news for you.
In Cure (spoilers ahead), a detective (Koji Yakusho) and forensic psychologist (Tsuyoshi Ujiki) team up to find a serial killer who’s brutally marking their victims by cutting a large “X” into their throats and chests. Not just a little “X” mind you but a big, gross, flappy one.
At each crime scene, the murderer is there and is coherent and willing to cooperate. They can remember committing the crimes but can’t remember why. Each of these murders is creepy on a cellular level because we watch the killers act out these crimes with zero emotion. They feel different than your average movie murder. Colder….meaner.
What’s going on here is that a man named Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara) is walking around and somehow manipulating people’s minds using the flame of a lighter and a strange conversational cadence to hypnotize them and convince them to murder. The detectives eventually catch him but are unable to understand the scope of what’s happening before it’s too late.
If you thought dealing with a psychopathic murderer was hard, imagine dealing with one who could convince you to go home and murder your wife. Not only is Cure amazingly filmed and edited but it has more horror elements than your average serial killer film.
MANHUNTER (1986)
In the first-ever Hannibal Lecter story brought in front of the cameras, Detective Will Graham (William Petersen) finds his serial killers by stepping into their headspace. This is how he caught Hannibal Lecter (played here by Brian Cox), but not without paying a price. Graham became so obsessed with his cases that he ended up having a mental breakdown.
In Manhunter, Graham not only has to deal with Lecter playing psychological games with him from behind bars but a new serial killer in Francis Dolarhyde (in a legendary performance by Tom Noonan). One who likes to wear pantyhose on his head and murder entire families so that he can feel “seen” and “accepted” in their dead eyes. At one point Lecter even finds a way to gift Graham’s home address to the new killer via personal ads in a newspaper.
Michael Mann (Heat, Thief) directed a film that was far too stylish for its time but that fans and critics both would have loved today in the same way we appreciate movies like Nightcrawler or Drive. From the soundtrack to the visuals to the in-depth psychoanalysis of an insanely disturbed protagonist and the man trying to catch him. We watch Graham completely lose his shit and unravel as he takes us through the psyche of our killer. Which is as fascinating as it is fucked.
Manhunter is a classic case of a serial killer-versus-detective story where each side of the coin is tarnished in their own way when it’s all said and done. As Detective Park put it in Memories of Murder, “What kind of detective sleeps at night?”
INSOMNIA (2002)
Maybe it’s because of the foggy atmosphere. Maybe it’s because it’s the only film in Christopher Nolan’s filmography he didn’t write as well as direct. But for some reason, Insomnia always feels forgotten about whenever we give Nolan his flowers for whatever his latest cinematic achievement is.
Whatever the case, I know it’s no fault of the quality of the film, because Insomnia is a certified serial killer classic that adds several unique layers to the detective/killer dynamic. One way to create an extreme sense of unease with a movie villain is to cast someone you’d never expect in the role, which is exactly what Nolan did by casting the hilarious and sweet Robin Williams as a manipulative child murderer. He capped that off by casting Al Pacino as the embattled detective hunting him down.
This dynamic was fascinating as Williams was creepy and clever in the role. He was subdued in a way that was never boring but believable. On the other side of it, Al Pacino felt as if he’d walked straight off the set of 1995’s Heat and onto this one. A broken and imperfect man trying to stop a far worse one.
Aside from the stellar acting, Insomnia stands out because of its unique setting and plot. Both working against the detective. The investigation is taking place in a part of Alaska where the sun never goes down. This creates a beautiful, nightmare atmosphere where by the end of it, Pacino’s character is like a Freddy Krueger victim in the leadup to their eventual, exhausted death as he runs around town trying to catch a serial killer while dealing with the debilitating effects of insomnia. Meanwhile, he’s under an internal affairs investigation for planting evidence to catch another child killer and accidentally shoots his partner who he just found out is about to testify against him. The kicker here is that the killer knows what happened that fateful day and is using it to blackmail Pacino’s character into letting him get away with his own crimes.
If this is the kind of “what would you do?” intrigue we get with the story from Longlegs? We’ll be in for a treat. Hoo-ah.
FALLEN (1998)
Fallen may not be nearly as obscure as Memories of Murder or Cure. Hell, it boasts an all-star cast of Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, James Gandolfini, and Elias Koteas. But when you bring it up around anyone who has seen it, their ears perk up, and the word “underrated” usually follows. And when it comes to the occult tie-ins that Longlegs will allegedly have? Fallen may be the most appropriate film on this entire list.
In the movie, Detective Hobbs (Washington) catches vicious serial killer Edgar Reese (Koteas) who seems to place some sort of curse on him during Hobbs’ victory lap. After Reese is put to death via electric chair, dead bodies start popping up all over town with his M.O., eventually pointing towards Hobbs as the culprit. After all, Reese is dead. As Hobbs investigates he realizes that a fallen angel named Azazel is possessing human body after human body and using them to commit occult murders. It has its eyes fixated on him, his co-workers, and family members; wrecking their lives or flat-out murdering them one by one until the whole world is damned.
Mixing a demonic entity into a detective/serial killer story is fascinating because it puts our detective in the unsettling position of being the one who is hunted. How the hell do you stop a demon who can inhabit anyone they want with a mere touch?!
Fallen is a great mix of detective story and supernatural horror tale. Not only are we treated to Denzel Washington as the lead in a grim noir (complete with narration) as he uncovers this occult storyline, but we’re left with a pretty great “what would you do?” situation in a movie that isn’t afraid to take the story to some dark places. Especially when it comes to the way the film ends. It’s a great horror thriller in the same vein as Frailty but with a little more detective work mixed in.
Look for Longlegs in theaters on July 12, 2024.
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