The Conjuring Explained: Perron Haunting, Warrens & What Really Happened

Charge your flashlight, lock the basement door, and welcome back to The THING About Films.

This week, Ambrose and Kelly are calling on The Conjuring (2013) and asking the big questions:
How did a “little” haunted house movie turn into a horror empire? Where does the real Perron family story end and the Hollywood version begin? And what happens when your “based on a true story” comes with real people, real trauma, and a very real old farmhouse that will not stay quiet?

They break down why this movie still creeps people out, what makes the Warrens such compelling on-screen guides, and why smart, slow-burn scares hit harder than buckets of gore. Then they pull back the curtain on the true story that inspired it all and talk about the messy, uncomfortable stuff the movie leaves in the dark.

If you’ve ever watched The Conjuring and thought, “Okay, but how much of this actually happened?” this episode is your rabbit hole.

Hit play, keep your feet off the floor, and remember: just because it says “true story” on the poster doesn’t mean the real horror made it to the screen.

Transcript

[Ambrose:] Alright, welcome back, everyone. Tonight we’re peeling back the layers of The Conjuring. Not just the jump scares. We’re talking about the real chaos the Perron family says they lived with for almost a decade. And honestly, that’s way scarier than what you actually see in the movie. Plus, we’ve got all the weird fallout stuff, like how some of that energy seemed to follow the story right onto the set.

[Kelly:] Yeah, it’s wild, because on one side you’ve got this huge studio horror movie, and on the other, you’ve got this messy, real-life story that goes all the way back to the early 70s. We’re basically tracking how this very personal family nightmare from 1971 turned into this giant, multi-billion-dollar franchise fifty years later. And it’s kind of insane when you stop and think about it.

[Ambrose:] So, let’s unpack it just a bit and I think we’ve gotta start with just how big this movie actually was. Now The Conjuring dropped in theaters in July of 2013. And it didn’t just “do pretty well.” Oh no it blew past everyone’s expectations. It changed what people thought an R-rated horror movie could do at the box office. And it proved you didn’t need torture-porn levels of gore to make money. You can make smart, suspense-driven horror and still totally crush it at the box office.

[Kelly:] Exactly, and the numbers absolutely back that up. It cost, what, around twenty million? Which sounds like a lot, but for a big studio horror film, that’s actually kind of lean.

[Ambrose:] Yeah, and that’s a pretty tight budget.

[Kelly:] It sure is. And it goes on to make almost three hundred and twenty million worldwide. Now, that’s a ridiculous return. I mean you’re talking around sixteen times its budget. And that’s why it kicked off this whole Conjuring Universe. We got Annabelle, The Nun, and of course all those spinoffs. Now, together they’ve pulled in over two billion dollars. It’s basically the most successful horror franchise ever.

[Ambrose:] And it wasn’t just some random lightning strike. It tapped into something audiences were clearly craving. Grounded, character-focused horror. More slow-burn dread, and less splatter. And James Wan really leaned into that.

[Kelly:] Yeah, he’s so good at that “slow tightening of the screws” type of scare.

[Ambrose:] And speaking of weird little details though, here’s some completely useless but very fun trivia. This movie connects to pop culture royalty in a strange way.

[Kelly:] Oh, I’m listening. You can’t just tease it like that and not spill it.

[Ambrose:] Well did you know The Conjuring is technically the highest-grossing movie Ryan Gosling has ever been involved with.

[Kelly:] Wait, what? Ryan Gosling is not in this movie.

[Ambrose:] Not on screen. But his band is.

[Kelly:] Ohhh right, Dead Man’s Bones.

[Ambrose:] Yup, their song “In The Room Where You Sleep” is in the film. It’s a tiny thing, but it kind of shows how far the movie’s reach went. It seeped into all these little corners of entertainment.

[Kelly:] Now, that’s a great pub-quiz question right there. But okay, fun Gosling aside, I think the real secret weapon that anchors this whole franchise is casting Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren.

[Ambrose:] I agree, that was huge. You had to believe in them. They needed to feel capable and compassionate. They’re the ones leading you through the dark.

[Kelly:] Exactly. Their stability is the counterweight to the Perron family’s total terror. And they really did their homework. They didn’t just show up and read lines. They actually spent time with the real Lorraine and Ed Warren.

[Ambrose:] Right. Farmiga has talked about wanting to capture Lorraine’s graciousness and compassion. She didn’t want the performance to feel like she was exploiting anything. She wanted it rooted in a real desire to help people.

[Kelly:] And that matters so much because the movie has that split structure. You’ve got the victims, the Perrons, played by Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston. And they’re all raw fear and helplessness. Then the Warrens show up like the cavalry, the experts with the gear and the plan.

[Ambrose:] And it works really well. You’re scared with the Perrons, but you also feel kind of safe when the Warrens walk in, because you trust that they at least know what they’re doing.

[Kelly:] Right. And you buy the idea that they know how to fight back against whatever this thing is.

[Ambrose:] And speaking of the Perrons, Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron…

[Kelly:] Yeah.

[Ambrose:] Well she really sells the terror. And a lot of people call her role the “juiciest” part, and she absolutely nails it, because that parental fear feels painfully real.

[Kelly:] For sure. If you don’t buy her fear, the whole thing falls apart. But she grounds it and makes the stakes feel incredibly high.

[Ambrose:] And then you’ve got Patrick Wilson as Ed Warren, who has his own challenge. Ed is a self-taught demonologist. And Wilson has to sell that conviction.

[Kelly:] Yeah, he talked about really needing to get into Ed’s mindset. You know that “you can’t tell me what I’ve seen” attitude.

[Ambrose:] Right. That stubborn, defiant belief. It makes him compelling on screen. But I do wonder if that same conviction that works in the movie maybe becomes a problem in real life.

[Kelly:] How so?

[Ambrose:] Well, if you walk into a situation already convinced it’s supernatural, how open are you really to other explanations? Like psychological stuff, family trauma, mental health. All the boring, human things that could explain what a family is going through.

[Kelly:] Oh right, and that’s the big criticism people have about the real Warrens. In the film, that certainty makes Ed look heroic. But in reality, that same certainty might mean you’re not seeing the full picture for the people you’re “helping.” And the thing is, the movie kind of needs you to buy into their spiritual framework, or the whole plot just falls apart.

[Ambrose:] Exactly. Okay, let’s pivot to James Wan’s directing style for a second. Because in an age where CGI is everywhere, he goes very old school here. Lots of practical effects and illusions.

[Kelly:] And that was super intentional, because he wanted the horror to feel physical and tangible, not like weightless digital noise. So instead of just clicking a mouse, they’re using makeup, clever sets, rigs, all of that stuff… like that scare with the sheet blowing off the clothesline over a figure.

[Ambrose:] Oh yeah, that one really sticks with you. It’s so simple, but it feels weirdly real, like something you’d actually see out of the corner of your eye.

[Kelly:] And the body you see there is all practical effects, not CGI. And when they do use CGI, it’s super sparing. It’s mostly just to speed up a moment or erase wires, not to create the scares themselves.

[Ambrose:] And you can feel that throughout the movie. Because the movie has texture. And reviewers really responded to that. They praised the craft, the performances, the atmosphere, instead of just talking about flashy effects.

[Kelly:] And that grounded feel carries over into the sound too, because the sound design is brutal in the best way. Joe Dzuban’s work on this is like a psychological weapon.

[Ambrose:] Ok, than tell how does he make the sound feel physically threatening?

[Kelly:] Well, he uses directionality really cleverly. Instead of just random spooky noise, he uses the surround channels and that deep bass to make you feel like the threat is coming from a specific spot. Like behind you, or above you, even that one corner of the theater.

[Ambrose:] Oooh so he makes it feels personal.

[Kelly:] Exactly. It tricks your brain into feeling surrounded and cornered, even in a big room. And then he’ll cut all of that out and drop you into this awful silence.

[Ambrose:] I have to say that silence honestly might be even worse.

[Kelly:] Yeah, and sometimes you get minutes of creaks, whispers, little sounds, and then nothing. Total quiet. And your brain just starts screaming, “Okay, here it comes.”

[Ambrose:] And that’s when you braced yourself, and then he hits you with that sharp clap or weird snap from nowhere.

[Kelly:] Right. These sounds don’t even belong in the world of the scene, they’re non-diegetic. And they build this unbearable tension before the jump actually lands. It’s fear that’s very carefully engineered.

[Ambrose:] So, the sound design almost becomes its own character. And speaking of characters, there’s a really cool detail with Joseph Bishara, you know the one who did the score.

[Kelly:] Oh right. Didn’t he do the music for Insidious too?  You know that super creepy composer.

[Ambrose:] He sure did, and another cool fact. He also played Bathsheba Sherman in the movie.

[Kelly:] Oooh you’re right. He was in full makeup and everything.

[Ambrose:] Yep. So the guy writing the terrifying music is also the terrifying presence on the screen.

[Kelly:] Now, that is such a cool little slice of horror. And it really sums up Wan’s whole approach, tying sound and visual threat together so tightly that it all feels like one big, nasty organism.

[Ambrose:] Okay, let’s step out of the movie world and into the real Perron story for just a bit. Because the movie totally condenses their ordeal into, what, a few weeks or months of terror?

[Kelly:] That sounds about right. But from what I’ve read, the real timeline is way more intense. It starts with Roger and Carolyn Perron and their five daughters moving into this old farmhouse in Rhode Island back in 1971. Big, creaky place on Round Top Road in Burrillville, with fourteen rooms and about 250 years of history baked into the walls.

[Ambrose:] Now if I did my homework correctly they didn’t leave until 1980. Right?

[Kelly:] You are right. It was almost a full decade. And we should be really clear here: they didn’t stay because they were just being stubborn.

[Ambrose:] No, they stayed because they were stuck. Right?

[Kelly:] Exactly. All their money was in that place. They literally couldn’t afford to walk away. So they were basically trapped in a house they believed was haunted.

[Ambrose:] Which is so much sadder than “family ignores obvious red flags for plot reasons.”

[Kelly:] Right. And it didn’t start with huge movie-style scares either. It started small and petty. For instance, Carolyn talked about little things, like her broom going missing and turning up in random places, scraping noises on the kettle when no one was in the kitchen, and these weird little piles of dirt just appearing on the freshly cleaned floor over and over.

[Ambrose:] Now, that’s the kind of things that would just wear you down. And it messes with your sense of control. You start wondering if you’re losing your mind before the big stuff really kicks in.

[Kelly:] Exactly. Then it escalates. The daughters start to hear disembodied voices in the house. The family reports beds lifting a few inches off the floor on their own. And then there’s this awful smell. They said it smelled like rotting flesh, but it was only around certain areas of the house.

[Ambrose:] Ok, that’s what I call some really deep horror right there. It’s not just visual anymore. For them, it’s fully sensory now.

[Kelly:] It truly is. And then Carolyn starts waking up with bruises. Not just random marks, but prints that look like hands, like she’s being grabbed or held down while she sleeps.

[Ambrose:] Ok, that is what nightmares are made of. And meanwhile, you got Roger who is kind of the skeptic in a lot of accounts right?

[Kelly:] Oh definitely, he’s the practical counterweight. But even he isn’t totally immune to the weirdness. Because he has to go into the basement a lot to deal with that old furnace. And the floor is made with just dirt. You know it’s a real classic horror basement. And even he talks about feeling this cold, stinking presence right beside him sometimes when he’s down there alone.

[Ambrose:] So, even the skeptic in the house is like “Yeah, something isn’t right here.” I think at that point you should be paying closer attention to things. Which brings us to Bathsheba Sherman, because the movie turns her into this ultimate evil. She’s this satanic witch baby killer, who cursed the land and all of that. So my question is this. What did the Perrons actually think she was?

[Kelly:] So, Andrea Perron, you know the oldest daughter wrote books about their experiences. And she saw Bathsheba as the original mistress of the house, you know, basically a women from another century who just never really left.

[Ambrose:] Okay, so that’s already creepy. So, she’s not seeing her as some random demon, but like the actual lady of the house who just… refused to move on.

[Kelly:] Exactly, and Andrea believed Bathsheba resented Carolyn. Like she saw her as competition for the house and maybe even for the kids’ affection.

[Ambrose:] So less “demonic boss battle” and more “territorial ghost who is very mad that someone else moved into her stuff.”

[Kelly:] Pretty much. But here’s the important part: the real history behind Bathsheba got twisted over time. Now, local legend turned her into this satanic witch who murdered a neighbor’s baby in the 1800s.

[Ambrose:] Oh that makes perfect senes now. I always wondered where they came up with that idea in the movie. I always thought it was just some demon torturing them.

[Kelly:] Yeah, like it was a poltergeist or something like that. But when you dig deeper through the actual records, there was no proof. There were no court cases, no official documents to back any of these claims of her being a Satanic Witch or anything saying she even killed babies.

[Ambrose:] Wow, so basically it’s all rumor and spooky storytelling, but none of it actually holds up once you look at the real history.

[Kelly:] Nope. So what we’re really looking at is a bunch of local gossip and prejudice that snowballed into a myth. And we all know how much Hollywood loves grabbing onto myths and running wild with them.

[Ambrose:] Oh, you’re ain’t kidding. That whole “baby-killing devil worshipper” thing is basically just old folklore, with no real facts behind it.

[Kelly:] Exactly. And that difference really matters. It’s the gap between a possibly tragic real person and this full-blown horror icon we get on screen.

[Ambrose:] Oh, I also read that Andrea said not all the spirits there were bad,  which you really don’t get from the movie at all.

[Kelly:] Yeah, that part is fascinating. She talks about other spirits who seemed neutral or even friendly. Even her younger sister April had a ghost friend she called Oliver Richardson. If I’m correct it was a little boy who was about her age.

[Ambrose:] So like a ghost buddy then.

[Kelly:] Yep. And April got so protective of him that when the Warrens eventually showed up, she refused to tell them about Oliver at all, because she was scared they’d try to banish him.

[Ambrose:] And that’s such a human detail to all of this. Because in the middle of all that terror, you got this kid who is basically like, “No, this ghost is mine. Hands off.” Now that turns this whole thing into something more complicated than just “evil invades a house.”

[Kelly:] Totally. It feels like a weird, uneasy coexistence between the living and the dead. Which leads us nicely into the Warrens’ actual involvement, because the real story there is very different from the movie.

[Ambrose:] Really, because in the film they were called in to help out this family in need. But if I’m hearing you right. That was not what really happen. Correct?

[Kelly:] Nope. In reality, it’s much messier. Because they showed up uninvited, and according to the family. Not right away either. They came two and a half years after the Perrons moved in.

[Ambrose:] So the family had already been dealing with this for a long time.

[Kelly:] Exactly. And the Warrens said they heard about the case from college students who were dabbling in ghost hunting, and claimed Carolyn called them. Now, Carolyn said that never happened. She insists she only reached out to close friends and her lawyer. Either way, the Warrens weren’t invited, and they definitely didn’t move in.

[Ambrose:] Oh really now. So, how often were they actually there?

[Kelly:] The family says maybe five visits total, and that was spread out over a year and a half.

[Ambrose:] Hmmm, Five? That’s it?

[Kelly:] Yup.

[Ambrose:] Now, that really changes the mental picture. They’re less like full-time saviors and more like uh occasional consultants with a flair for drama.

[Kelly:] Exactly. And there’s no big Vatican-approved exorcism in the real story either. That whole final act of the film is pure Hollywood invention.

[Ambrose:] So what was the real climax?

[Kelly:] Well, according to Andrea, it was a seance the Warrens led. And it went very wrong. It was reported that Carolyn became violently possessed during it. She was speaking in tongues, her body was contorting, she even rose up out of her chair before collapsing to the floor and becoming unconscious.

[Ambrose:] Oh my god, that must of been horrifying for the family.

[Kelly:] Oh I bet. And that’s when Roger basically hit his limit with the Warrens. Watching his wife go through this horrific event that seems to be triggered by the people who were suppose to be helping them. And that’s when he completely loses trust in the Warrens and he physically throws them and their team out of their house.

[Ambrose:] Wow, yeah, I can’t even blame him. You’re watching your wife go through all that, and it’s happening on the Warrens’ watch, so of course you hit a breaking point and toss everybody out.

[Kelly:] And Andrea also says the Warrens left so fast they didn’t even stick around to check if Carolyn was okay. In her words, they didn’t stay to see if her mom was “dead or alive.” They just left. And the family had to deal with the fallout all alone.

[Ambrose:] So that’s the real emotional climax. Not a successful exorcism, but the family kicking out the supposed heroes.

[Kelly:] Exactly. Which brings us to the bigger question. Are the Warrens the heroes and you know the helpers or are they something else?

[Ambrose:] And this is where everything gets really complicated.

[Kelly:] Right. Because on one hand, you’ve got the movie version, where Ed and Lorraine are loving, devout warriors for good. And honestly, Wilson and Farmiga sell that so well that you kind of want to believe it.

[Ambrose:] Oh for sure.

[Kelly:] But then you’ve got decades of skeptics who see them very differently. Some call them con artists who exploited people’s fear and trauma for money.

[Ambrose:] Oh right, through their books and lectures.

[Kelly:] Yeah, you got their bestselling books, their sold-out appearances, and their famous occult museum full of haunted artifacts. And that museum was a really big part of the brand and the business.

[Ambrose:] And they try to give it all a more official feel with that research society they founded.

[Kelly:] Oh, you mean the New England Society for Psychic Research, the one back in 1952. Oh yeah, that was smart branding, honestly. Calling it a “research society” makes their work sound more scientific. It gives them authority in a time when people were really curious about the paranormal.

[Ambrose:] And it wasn’t just their beliefs getting questioned, right? There were accusations that stories were encouraged to be “spiced up.”

[Kelly:] Exactly. Now, one of the most famous accounts comes from horror writer Ray Garton, he was hired to write In A Dark Place about the Snedeker case, which later became a movie titled A Haunting in Connecticut. And he said the family’s stories didn’t match up, and when he complained, he claims Ed basically told him, “They’re crazy, just use what you can and make the rest up. You write scary books. So make it scary.”

[Ambrose:] Now, if that’s true, that’s pretty damning. And It suggests that making a terrifying story was more important than sticking to the facts.

[Kelly:] Exactly. And if that’s the approach there, skeptics argue you have to question the integrity of all their cases. Including the Perrons’.

[Ambrose:] You have a really good point there. And Andrea Perron actually gives a pretty nuanced view of Lorraine, though, right?

[Kelly:] Yeah, her opinion was critical of Lorraine’s professional practices and the negative impact they had on her family, rather than a personal attack on Lorraine’s character as an individual. She even attended a screening of the Conjuring with Lorraine.

[Ambrose:] Yeah, so it’s complicated. She’s clearly hurt by what happened, but she still separates Lorraine the person from Lorraine the investigator. And the fact that she could still sit next to her at a screening says a lot about how mixed those feelings are.

[Kelly:] Right, and that’s where people start asking, okay, so when are you not really helping anymore? When does it stop being support and start becoming you just collecting and profiting off someone else’s pain?

[Ambrose:] And there’s also this bigger moral question, because they weren’t doctors or therapists. They didn’t have clinical training, but they were stepping into situations with people who might’ve needed real, professional help.

[Kelly:] Right, it’s that old thing where if you tell someone, “It’s a demon,” you’re giving them a spiritual explanation that makes everything feel external. You’re just the victim of this evil thing. And yeah, maybe that feels validating, but it can also stop people from looking at other causes like addiction, abuse, trauma, or even mental health issues.

[Ambrose:] You could be right, because the problem might need therapy and not an exorcism.

[Kelly:] Exactly. Critics say the Warrens only offered a demonic solution, which might have left some people’s actual problems untreated.

[Ambrose:] And the movie leans hard into the Catholic angle as the big weapon against evil. But the Perrons’ real experience with the Church was… Well, not so comforting.

[Kelly:] No, it was really painful. The haunting didn’t bring them closer to the Church at all. It pushed them away. There’s this heartbreaking story about the youngest daughter, April. They were at Easter Mass, and she apparently looks at a painting of angels and spirits in the church and says, loud enough for everyone to hear, “See, Mom, God has ghosts just like we do.”

[Ambrose:] Oh no.

[Kelly:] Yeah, and the whole church hears it. And after Mass, instead of offering any comfort, the priest pulls Roger aside and basically tells him to take his family and worship somewhere else.

[Ambrose:] So they essentially get kicked out of their own church.

[Kelly:] Yep. And Roger’s devastated, and they never go back. Now, here’s the crazy part because the institution that is suppose to be a source of comfort, basically rejects them.

[Ambrose:] That’s such a failure of compassion. But Andrea still finds her own kind of faith in all this, right?

[Kelly:] She does. She talks about learning that when things got really bad, she could say a simple prayer like “Oh God, help me,” and the activity would stop. So she ends up with this very personal sense of spirituality, separate from the Church. For her, it becomes about good vs evil and love vs fear, but on a very internal level.

[Ambrose:] Which is a nuance you don’t really get in the movie, where the focus is on external heroes saving the day.

[Kelly:] Exactly.

[Ambrose:] But the haunting doesn’t stop being a problem just because the Perrons moved out.

[Kelly:] Right, and the house keeps generating drama. For example, after they leave, the house sits empty for a while. And Andrea tells this story about this guy who tried to move in and fix it up. But, she also said he fled in terror and I mean he left without his car, tools, and even his clothes. And the crazy part is he never came back. So the house just sat there again.

[Ambrose:] So whatever is going on, it’s not just “Perron family energy.” The house itself becomes this magnet for chaos.

[Kelly:] And now, in the present day, it’s a full-on paranormal tourism business. And people pay to do ghost hunts and overnight stays. The current owner, Jacqueline Nunez, bought it back in 2022 and runs it as a haunted attraction. Now, she doesn’t live there. She also has caretakers who run the tours.

[Ambrose:] I can just imagine how awful it must of been for the folks who bought the house after the movie came out. And before it became “officially haunted” for tourists.

[Kelly:] Oh yeah, the Sutcliffes. After the movie came out, they got absolutely flooded with trespassers and fans. People were just showing up day and night, totally obsessed with the film.

[Ambrose:] Now that sounds terrible, like you bought a house and accidentally signed up to be in a 24/7 fan meet-and-greet you never wanted.

[Kelly:] It got so bad they ended up digging into the history themselves, trying to debunk the movie’s claims just so they could get some peace. They even went as far as trying to prove that Bathsheba wasn’t actually a witch or some kind of Satan worshipper.

[Ambrose:] And they ended up confirming there was no proof she was this satanic baby killer.

[Kelly:] Exactly. Like we said before, there was no actual proof she was ever tied to satanic worship or being a baby killer. So the Sutcliffes basically became defenders of the boring truth against the spooky version, just hoping people would finally chill out.

[Ambrose:] But the chaos around that house still hasn’t stopped, even now. You’ve got plumbing issues, business drama, lawsuits, all this modern turbulence layered on top of the old haunting story.

[Kelly:] Oh of course, it’s like the “Curse” evolved. But maybe it’s not the ghost throwing things anymore. Maybe it’s the people, the money, the mental health, and the strain of running a famous haunted house.

[Ambrose:] So you get this sense that the house just attracts trouble. Not just spirits, but rumors, franchises, fans, lawsuits… all of it piling into this one old farmhouse.

[Kelly:] And of course, when the movie was coming out, they leaned hard into the whole “cursed set” angle too. Classic horror marketing.

[Ambrose:] Right, you got this whole “we had weird things happening on set also.” But some of those Conjuring stories are pretty eerie, especially the ones involving the real Perron family.

[Kelly:] Right, and the big one is when the Perron daughters, all grown up now, visited the set in North Carolina. Their mom, Carolyn, was too frail to travel, so she stayed home. The daughters are on set, everything’s calm, skies are clear… and then out of nowhere, this violent gust of wind rips through the area.

[Ambrose:] Yeah, and it’s not just a little breeze either. It starts knocking over lights and cameras and gear, like the whole set just suddenly gets hit by this unseen tantrum.

[Kelly:] And it causes all this real damage. But here’s the creepy part. Right around the same time that wind slams into the set, their mother Carolyn who was back at her home, felt a presence and suffered a bad fall.

[Ambrose:] That’s unnerving. Chaos on set and chaos in the original family hitting at the same moment.

[Kelly:] Yeah, whether you see it as coincidence or something more, it definitely freaked people out. It felt like the past reaching forward and saying, “Don’t stir this up.”

[Ambrose:] And then you’ve got Vera Farmiga’s experiences too, which kept feeding that cursed-set narrative.

[Kelly:] Right, she said during the shoot she kept waking up between three and four in the morning, you know the so-called “witching hour,” which is a big plot point in the movie.

[Ambrose:] Yeah, I’ve heard about that so called witching hour. That alone would of creeped me out.

[Kelly:] I’m right there with you. And get this after filming, she wakes up one day at home and finds these three red marks on her thigh that look just like claw marks and she doesn’t even know how they got there. Now if that’s not creepy I don’t know what is.

[Ambrose:] What are you saying. Like something followed her home from the set?

[Kelly:] That’s exactly what I’m saying. And she also mentioned more little things happening later on, like weird marks showing up on random stuff. Meanwhile, Patrick Wilson’s just laughing it off, you know, playing the skeptic.

[Ambrose:] So in the end, that whole believer vs skeptic dynamic ended up playing out between the actors too, not just their characters.

[Kelly:] Yeah, it really did. And of course the studio leaned into those stories for promo, but for the people actually living through it, it wasn’t just a fun headline. It felt really personal and honestly pretty unsettling.

[Ambrose:] So if we zoom out, what we’re really left with is this massive franchise built on a story that, in real life, stretches over about a decade, includes maybe five visits from the Warrens total, and doesn’t end with a clean exorcism at all, but with the family actually kicking the Warrens out of their house.

[Kelly:] Yup. And on top of that, you’ve got all these messy ethical questions about the Warrens, the Church’s involvement, turning trauma into entertainment, and who actually gets to tell the story.

[Ambrose:] Exactly. But at its core, it’s really about basic human fears. Like feeling helpless, feeling invaded, and feeling like your home, you know the place that’s supposed to protect you — has actually turned against you.

[Kelly:] Yeah, and haunted house stories in general kind of do that. They turn the past into this living thing that keeps messing with the present. Old wounds, buried secrets, all of it. It’s never really gone… it just starts banging around in the pipes at 3 a.m.

[Ambrose:] So maybe the reason The Conjuring hits so hard isn’t just the “based on a true story” tag or the jump scares. It might be because it gives us a way to look at stuff we don’t really know how to handle. Things like trauma, financial ruin, abandonment, and spiritual confusion. All the stuff you can’t fix with a quick conversation.

[Kelly:] Yeah. And for somebody like Andrea Perron, that becomes a story about finding a personal kind of faith. For someone else, it might be a reminder to look for real-world help. For others, it might just be a really good scare that sticks in the back of your mind.

[Ambrose:] And honestly, that’s the part that really sticks with me. It’s not just “the thing in the dark.” It’s the fallout. The way the story keeps echoing long after the footsteps stop. And yeah, I know I’m embellishing a bit here, but even though The Conjuring slaps that “based on a true story” label on it, what we saw on the big screen is still a Hollywood ghost story. Because the real horror the Perrons describe? That’s way scarier than anything the movie could ever show.

[Kelly:] Right, I couldn’t have said that better. The movie itself is scary, yeah, but when you really think about the true story, it doesn’t even come close. Imagine living with this for almost a decade, and people start looking at you differently. Especially the Church you trusted, turning its back on you right when you needed it most.

[Ambrose:] And speaking of people turning their backs on you… I think it’s time we stop stalling, and grab our flashlights, and give our final judgment on The Conjuring. The movie that not only kicked off one of the best horror franchises in decades, but also brought back what horror fans had been missing: good old smart, suspense-driven scares.

[Kelly:] Oooh, you’re so right. And that is the perfect cue for us to head down into the Crypt and do just that. But I’ll be honest, I’m a little nervous about that dirt floor down there. I really don’t wanna feel some cold, stinking presence standing right next to me.

[Ambrose:] Well, the good news is, if something’s breathing down your neck, it’s probably just me trying not to trip over the stairs…and if anything smells weird, we’ll just blame the furnace and not Bathsheba.

[Kelly:] Okay, but if Bathsheba starts rattling the pipes, I’m out. Like, I respect the Crypt vibe, but I also like sleeping at night.

[Ambrose:] That’s fair. Although, if she starts clapping in the dark, I’m just running straight up those stairs.Yeah there’s no hide and clap in this basement.

[Kelly:] Yeah, see, that game works in a sunny house, but down here it’s just, “Hey, do you want a heart condition for free?” And the movie knows that. It takes stuff kids actually do and just twists it.

[Ambrose:] It really does. And I like that it doesn’t rush. So, even while we joke, you still feel that slow squeeze. The house creaks, the camera drifts, and you’re waiting for something in the corner that maybe is or maybe isn’t there.

[Kelly:] And usually it is. Or it’s that poor mom getting launched off furniture again. Like, she has the worst time in this movie.

[Ambrose:] She really does. So, since we’re already talking about it, let’s dig into what really works here. For me, the biggest pro is the atmosphere. Because from the first frame, you feel like you’re stuck in that house. The color, the dust, the way the camera glides through rooms. It all feels thick.

[Kelly:] Yeah, it feels heavy, but in a good horror way.

[Ambrose:] Exactly. And then, the Warrens. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga just lock this thing together. They play it so straight that even when the movie goes big, it still feels grounded. So you believe them, even while a demon is perched on a wardrobe like a possessed cat.

[Kelly:] And although, that wardrobe moment is still wild.

[Ambrose:] It is, but it works. Also, I love the sound design. The claps, the doors, the little breaths in the dark. You could mute the jump scare sting, and it would still be scary, just from the house sounds.

[Kelly:] Yeah, and I’ll add this. The family feels real. That’s another huge pro for me. Because the kids talk over each other, and the parents are tired, and the house is messy. So, when the haunting starts, it hits harder. It’s not a show home. It’s a lived-in mess.

[Ambrose:] Same.

[Kelly:] And I like that it builds rules, even if they’re loose. The girl gets pulled, the dog reacts, the smell changes. So, you start to connect the dots. And then, when it finally goes full exorcism, it feels like, “Okay, yeah, we earned this chaos.”

[Ambrose:] Not only the exorcism, but also those smaller set pieces. Like the feet hanging behind the door, or the hands coming out of the dark behind the kid. They’re short, but they stick because they’re clear. You know exactly what you’re looking at.

[Kelly:] Plus, the whole “based on a true story” thing, whether you believe it or not, adds a layer. It’s like the movie dares you to Google the Perron family at 2 a.m., even though you definitely shouldn’t.

[Ambrose:] Okay, so there’s a lot we like. However, it’s still not perfect. There are some cons. For me, sometimes it leans a bit too hard into the “greatest hits” of haunted house stuff. You get the possession, the exorcism, the creepy doll, the cursed tree. It’s all cool, but it’s also a lot.

[Kelly:] Yeah, it’s like a haunted house sampler platter.

[Ambrose:] Right. And because it tries to give big arcs to both the Warrens and the Perrons, some of the kids blur together. I remember a few clear faces, but not all of them. So, when one is in danger, I care, but I don’t always remember which kid that is.

[Kelly:] Same. And I’ll say this, even though I love the third act energy, it can feel a little long. The chair, the sheet, the screaming, the Latin. It goes hard. Still, there are moments where I thought, “Okay, we could wrap this up now,” and then it keeps going for just a bit more.

[Ambrose:] Yeah, it does not believe in short exorcisms.

[Kelly:] Also, since we’re talking cons, the “based on a true story” angle can be tricky. On one hand, it’s effective, but on the other hand, it leans into the Warrens as almost superhero ghost hunters. So, if you know some of the real-world debates about them, it might pull you out a little.

[Ambrose:] That’s a good point. Because the movie clearly picks a side. It chooses faith and the Warrens as the answer, which totally works as a story, but it also simplifies some messy real-life stuff.

[Kelly:] Exactly. And yet, even while I think about that, the movie still works as a ride. You feel the tension, you care about the mom, and you’re still watching through your fingers when that clapping starts behind her.

[Ambrose:] So, with all that in mind, we should lock in our Coffin Salutes. And for me, The Conjuring gets 4 out of 5 Coffins. It’s stylish, it’s tense, and it hits a sweet spot between old school haunted house and modern scare machine. Some stuff is familiar, and the ending runs a little long, but I still love being in this world.

[Kelly:] Alright, I’m going higher. I’m giving The Conjuring 5 out of 5 Coffins. Because even with the issues, it still makes me feel like a kid scared of the closet again. The family works, the Warrens work, and the hide and clap game still lives rent free in my brain. So, yeah, full Coffin Salute from me.

[Ambrose:] That’s fair. And honestly, if a movie can still make you nervous to hang your feet off the bed, it probably deserves it.

[Kelly:] Exactly. And now, since we’ve insulted Bathsheba’s interior decorating for like twenty minutes, we should probably leave the Crypt before she starts charging us rent.

[Ambrose:] Good idea. Although, if the lights cut out while we’re leaving, I’m just running straight ahead and hoping I don’t tackle a ghost or you.

[Kelly:] Joke’s on you. If anything breathes on my neck on the way out, I’m swinging first and apologizing later.

[Ambrose:] So, normal recording session.

[Kelly:] Yep. Now let’s get out of here before something claps twice behind us and—

[Ambrose:] Oh my god, I think I heard a clap as I was running around the corner.

[Kelly:] Or you just heard your knees clap, because we ran up, like, twelve stairs in ten seconds.

[Ambrose:] Okay, first of all, rude. Second of all, if anything claps near my head again, I’m moving into a nice, boring rom-com.

[Kelly:] Yeah, right. Although, this is kind of the perfect reminder. Next time you see “based on a true story” on a horror poster, maybe do a little research first.

[Ambrose:] Exactly. Because you might find out it’s either wildly stretched, or not true at all, yet somehow still way too creepy to watch alone.

[Kelly:] And then you’re stuck, because now you know the real story and the fake story, and both are living rent-free in your brain while you’re trying to sleep.

[Ambrose:] Not only that, but also you start hearing every creak in your house like it’s a bonus scene. So, think twice, do your homework, and if something claps behind you while you’re scrolling—

[Kelly:] Wait, did you hear tha—