The Warrens' 12 Best Moments In The Conjuring Franchise Ranked
"I could go back to the house, Father. But my home is here with him," Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) quietly affirms. After her spouse and partner of 30 years suffers a heart attack, Lorraine simply can't imagine leaving Ed's (Patrick Wilson) side as he recovers in a hospital bed. It's the dedication of this partnership to one another that enables the pair to face some of the most horrific events in cinematic history. "The Conjuring" universe is a terrifying world rich with demons, unhappy spirits, and murderous occultists. Ed and Lorraine Warren live in that world committing their lives to aiding others afflicted by the supernatural.
While "The Conjuring" films are very firmly planted in the horror genre, there's an unmistakable sense of heartfelt romance in each of the films that feature the pair of demonologists. Since the first film that started it all in 2013, it has been clear that Ed and Lorraine's bond is unshakeable. Despite their mission help families afflicted with hellish terrors, they always have each other at the forefront of their minds in all that they do. In fact, there's something rather poetic about the forces of evil being defeated by the powers of enduring love. Having appeared in five films that make up the connected "Conjuring" universe, the Warrens have become something of an iconic duo and even superheroes in the horror genre. They've accomplished plenty of feats both great and small throughout their cinematic exploits. We're about to dive into the best ranking them from least impactful to the most daring.
12. Ed and Lorraine discover the authenticity of the Enfield haunting in The Conjuring 2
The Warrens have plenty of skills acquired over many years of experience. Lorraine is a clairvoyant capable of connecting with the dead and the sinister alike. Ed is not ordained by the Catholic church, but has managed to hone the craft of exorcisms. Furthermore, he knows exactly how to speak to wandering spirits when attempting to gain an advantage in the fight against the paranormal. But besides being renowned demonologists, the two are also detectives in a way. Their investigative efforts are put to the test in "The Conjuring 2" as they seek to understand whether the Hodgsons are perpetrating a hoax or are actually being tormented by dark unseen forces.
After investigators catch Janet in the act of destroying the kitchen, both British authorities and the Catholic church decide that the entire affair is a charade. However, the Warrens do sense that something is amiss. After all, they did speak with the spirit of an old man through the body of a young girl. The voice of an old crochety man isn't exactly something a little girl can mimic. When the Warrens arrive at the train station, Ed drops two of his reels of tape and they intersect forming an "X" on the ground. This gives him the idea that maybe the recordings of the ghostly Bill Wilkins screaming need to be connected. After listening to them simultaneously, it's clear that the spirit is pleading for help. Lorraine then has a vision seeing that the demon Valak has its grasp on the poor spirit of Bill Wilkins. It's this revelation that leads the Warrens back into the fight for the souls of the Hodgson family.
11. Lorraine oversteps the demonic witch and reaches Carolyn in The Conjuring
The climactic final moments of 2013's "The Conjuring" are harrowing to say the least. The evil demonic witch Bathsheba is hellbent on sacrificing another child to the infernal underworld just as she had done to her own many years prior. The entity stalks and haunts Carolyn (Lili Taylor), the matriarch of the Perron family. By the third act, Bathsheba has taken up residence in Carolyn's body and has kidnapped her two young daughters.
The possessed Carolyn returns to the haunted Rhode Island home where everything started intent on killing the two youngest Perron daughters. However, the Warrens and crew arrive on the scene to thwart Bathsheba's terrifying plot. At one point, the demonic witch snags one of the Perron daughters and is isolated within the basement walls of the home. Desperately, Ed attempts to finish the exorcism while Lorraine places her hand on Carolyn's head through hole in the floor above and boldly encourages the possessed mother to fight for her family. She recalls some of Carolyn's fondest memories and aims to reach beneath the demonic exterior to the innocent mother below. Carolyn manages to overcome the evil and emerges, releasing her daughter unharmed. It's a testament to the fact that crosses, holy water, and exorcisms aren't all that can be channeled to defeat evil. Sometimes, a little bit of heart will go a long way.
10. Lorraine solves the murder of Katie Lincoln in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
After Arne Johnson (Ruairi O'Connor) murders a man in cold blood by stabbing him 22 times, the Warrens investigate the case as one affected by the paranormal. Ed does remember that Arne invited the demon possessing young David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard) in the film's intro to take his body instead. That's precisely what the evil spirit had done. Though, no one is quite aware as of yet that an occultist is controlling this particular demon.
Ed and Lorraine begin to make connections to similar occurrences such as the murder of Katie Johnson in a neighboring state by her alleged best friend. The method of murder? Well, Katie was found dead with 22 stab wounds. Her friend Jessica is nowhere to be seen, and the police are looking for a second body. Lorraine volunteers her services and manages to see the entirety of the events unfold in the forested area where the girls were last seen. Having clearly been overcome by a malevolent force, Jessica stabs Katie violently. After the murder, Jessica realizes what she had done and runs through the woods towards a cliff in shock, guilt, and horror. Lorraine confirms that the body can be found in the river bank below. The police then recover Jessica's corpse. It is revealed, of course, that Jessica had also been manipulated by a similar cursed totem as Arne's placed by an occultist.
9. Ed performs a cover of an Elvis original in The Conjuring 2
Not everything in the "Conjuring" universe has to be heavy and dark. In fact, it's the brighter moments in these films that often shine the most because they are a sharp contrast against the spine-tingling terror that's consistently at play. Oftentimes, it's the bond that Ed and Lorraine share that truly has all of us cracking a smile. They're truly both romantics at heart.
At one point in the second "Conjuring" film, Ed demonstrates his musical chops. Patrick Wilson has already been known to have a certain level of musical talent thanks to his role in "Phantom of the Opera." However, here he pulls out a good ol' six-string to strum a wonderous tune for the Hodgson family amid their darkest hours. He performs a cover of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love." While the family is charmed by Ed's musical serenade and vocal talent, it's the moment when he and Lorraine lock eyes during the tune that melts all of our hearts.
8. The exorcism of Frenchie in The Nun
"The Nun" may not be one of the better films in the "Conjuring" universe — despite the film featuring one of the most horrific demons to ever appear in on screen — however, it does have a strong connection to the greater franchise at play. For starters, it shows us a little history of the demon Valak and how he acquired the terrifying Nun visage. Additionally, it shows us how Valak escaped that secluded European abbey to later be unleashed upon the Hodgson family. A helpful man by the name of Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet) aids Father Burke (Demián Bichir) and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) in their struggle against the horrifying demon.
In the final act of the film, all three of the protagonists go up against Valak in hopes of vanquishing the demon, or at least sending it back to the infernal pit from which it came. However, when Frenchie, Father Burke, and Sister Irene head off into the sunrise, we see that a curious mark appears on Frenchie's neck — an upside-down cross. Fast forward 20 years, and the Warrens are using Frenchie's exorcism as a case study for class on the paranormal. It gives the Warrens some semblance of an "Indiana Jones" vibe. Not only do they go out and fight demons for a living, but they also present their experiences and findings in the form of lectures for students seeking to learn. This scene was actually depicted in the first "Conjuring" film also. However, it was reworked to include the actor who played Frenchie in place of the original subject of the research film.
7. Ed and Lorraine Warren investigate the Amityville house in The Conjuring 2
The incident that occurred in the famous Amityville, New York, home is a matter of public record. Not only has a book been written and several testimonials from the family involved been documented, but a feature film entitled "The Amityville Horror" scared the pants off movie goers in the '70s. In fact, the Warrens' notoriety is mostly derived from being involved in this highly public case.
Much to the delight of horror fans, "The Conjuring 2" kicks off with the Warrens investigating the Amityville murders and attempting to draw a connection between them and sinister supernatural forces at work. Of course, this is a horror movie first and foremost — not a non-fiction recounting of actual events. What did or didn't occur in the Amityville home is still up for debate, as many skeptics still feel the entire affair is a hoax. Regardless, "The Conjuring" connects the demonic presence in the home with the eventual haunting that becomes the basis for the sequel's narrative: the Enfield haunting. Lorraine sees the demonic nun during her time in the Amityville home and it shows her a horrific vision of Ed's future demise. This demon then rears its ugly head when the duo travel across the pond to help a family in London. While the arc of the sequel film's narrative is just getting started, it is simply a thrill to see the couple involved in one of the most popular hauntings in American history.
6. Ed talks to the deceased Bill Wilkins in The Conjuring 2
The Warrens are summoned by the Catholic church to investigate a paranormal incident occurring in a small borough of London. The Hodgson family is seemingly being haunted by the spirit of a man who once lived in their home. The man goes by the name Bill Wilkins (Bob Adrian). Hauntingly, he died in the home sitting in the chair that currently still resides in the corner of the living room. Poor young Janet (Madison Wolfe) becomes tormented by this specter who aggressively demands that everyone leave his home. Eventually, he possesses young Janet and uses her as a conduit to speak to the investigators.
When the Warrens arrive, they want to speak to the spirit of Bill Wilkins. For effect, Janet proves that she isn't speaking by holding a sip of water in her mouth during the event. However, the spirit of Bill Wilkins asserts that he doesn't want everyone staring at him. So, everyone looks away while Ed talks to Bill to find out why he has invaded this home. Ed has a commanding presence about him — a skill that's been forged by years of experience with the dead. Despite the spirit's rebelliousness, Ed manages to maintain a conversation with the him. While Janet is out of focus in the background of the shot, viewers can see her morph into the crochety old man as he speaks. It's a terrifying reminder of the horrors Ed and Lorraine face on a regular basis.
5. Lorraine delivers a message to Daniela from her father in Annabelle Comes Home
"Annabelle Comes Home" is one of several spin-off films from the main "Conjuring" line of films. The horrific titular doll first showed her cracked, eerie face at the beginning of 2013's "The Conjuring." The doll harbored an "inhuman spirit" that had been tormenting a young woman and her roommates in an effort to possess one of them. The Warrens bring the doll back to their home where they lock it in a case that is blessed and protected with religious iconography. The film then revolves around Judy (Mckenna Grace), the Warrens' daughter, her babysitter Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman), and Mary's best friend Daniela Rios (Katie Sarife).
All the problems for the three girls begin when Daniela inadvertently unleashes Annabelle while meddling in the Warrens' room of occult artifacts. Despite the chaos that she causes, her intentions are pure. Daniela only hopes to speak with her dearly departed father. The distraught teen feels guilt over her father's untimely death as a result of a car accident that she was involved in. At the end of the film, all of the spirits causing havoc thanks to Annabelle have been contained, and the horrific doll is back in her case where she belongs. However, Lorraine sympathizes with Daniela and offers her a photo of the young girl and her late father. Additionally, Lorraine tells Daniela that she spoke with her dad, and he doesn't hold any ill will towards her and that he loves her. It's a beautiful resolution to her story and the closure Daniela needed. Not of all Lorraine's encounters are with unfriendly spirits.
4. Ed and Lorraine foil the occultist plot in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Sometimes, in horror films, demons and vengeful spirits aren't the bad guys. In fact, sometimes, the worst kind of monster is, well, human. In the third "Conjuring" film, a demon most certainly causes its fair share of trouble, but only at the behest of an occultist controlling it using totems. As a result of this mysterious occultist's activities, Arne Johnson commits murder and is eventually sentenced to five years in prison for a crime he had no control over. Eventually, Ed and Lorraine realize that the supernatural work is the result of a solitary person. They resolve to track that person down.
They approach a former priest by the name of Father Kastner (John Noble), who had some involvement in the church's dealings with the Disciples of the Ram cult. Believing he might have the answers they're looking for, Kastner actually turns out to be the answer all along. Kastner eventually confesses that he bore a daughter against the clerical regulations of the Catholic Church. She became obsessed with the occult simply because of her father's work in cases involving secretive organizations and dark witchcraft. The altar she was using to spread her curses upon others is below Kastner's home. In order to nullify the effects of the totems, the Warrens find that they have to destroy the altar. Isla (Eugenie Bondurant), the daughter of Kastner and the suspected occultist, attempts to use the curse she's placed on Ed to force him into killing Lorraine. However, their love manages to overpower her hold on him and they destroy the altar. Once the altar is broken, the demon is free of Isla's grasp and kills her. Poetic justice, indeed.
3. Ed performs an exorcism in The Conjuring
The Warrens' best moments are truly their most heroic ones. After all, they're technically in the business of saving lives. In the original film, Ed and Lorraine attempt to gather enough evidence to call in the Catholic church to perform an exorcism on their home. They note that the demonic witch's spirit has latched onto the Perron family and it won't let them go. The only way the Warrens are going to be able to help the Perron family is by casting the evil out by force.
In the final moments of the film, Bathsheba enacts her plan by distracting the Warrens when she threatens the safety of their daughter. Shortly after, the witch possesses Carolyn and nabs the two youngest Perron girls. The Warrens realize that Bathsheba intends to take them back to the home where she can sacrifice them. Time is up for the Perron family, and the Warrens know that. There's no priest within reach. While Ed is not ordained in the church, he does have the know-how to perform an exorcism. However, Ed knows all too well how badly an exorcism can go. He reluctantly performs the exorcism on Carolyn, which serves to only further Bathsheba's aggression. However, when the possessed matriarch is about to cross the frightful line of murdering her own child, Ed goes big and bold declaring his authority with confidence. He works in tandem with Lorraine to remind Carolyn of her humanity and ultimately expel the evil.
2. Ed goes to help Janet alone despite knowing the vision of his death in The Conjuring 2
In their line of work, Ed and Lorraine have to be bold and brave no matter how horrifically jarring things might get. In "The Conjuring 2," Lorraine, perhaps, experiences the worst of it when the demon Valak prophesies Ed's violent death. No matter how many terrors she has seen in her lifetime, nothing is scarier than the thought of losing her longtime love and partner. She tells Ed that she's seen his demise and pleads with him to not work the case. However, Ed can't turn down a family in need. Besides, he remarks that he has Lorraine by his side to help prevent whatever might happen.
However, in the film's climactic moments, Valak assaults the entire Hodgson home, and Ed manages to find a way inside through the basement. The door locks shut, however, and Lorraine can't follow him. She begs him once again to turn back, but Ed still can't bring himself to leave a young girl to die at the whims of a demon. Despite knowing what he knows, he plunges into the heart of the home to find Janet and confront the demon. He does so nearly at the cost of his own life. Thankfully, Lorraine is also persistent and finds a way inside.
1. Lorraine defeats Valak in The Conjuring 2
That leads us into the most triumphant moment of the "Conjuring" franchise: Lorraine's confrontation with Valak. If you sit and think on it for a moment, Valak is the absolute worst of the worst as far as Lorraine's cinematic adventures are concerned. The first film saw Ed sharing with Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) that Lorraine saw something during a previous case that absolutely terrified her to the core. And this is coming from a woman who sees everything. We later learn, thanks to the addition of "The Nun," that Valak is the very being she saw within Frenchie who was possessed. Later, during the Amityville haunting, Valak is once again around the corner now threatening the life of her beloved. The demon attacks Lorraine in her own home, even. If Lorraine fears anything during her career, it's Valak.
Her drive to confront her worst fear and banish it back to the infernal pit below is nothing short of courageous. Ultimately, showing the demon that it has no power over her is a crowd-pleasing moment. Lorraine has guts, and its hard to not imagine any other gig being a total cakewalk thereafter.