THE NUN
A Universe Of HorrorsW W W.SCI FI N OW.CO.U K |^0275
VALAK’S VANQUISH
Having spent most of The Conjuring 2
thinking Bill Wilkins, the dead, old man
terrorising the Hodgsons, was the fi lm’s big bad,
we learn towards the end that a demon named
Valak is actually the one pulling the strings
and is now presenting itself in the form of an
evil-looking nun.
It possesses Janet and has her throw herself
out of a second-fl oor window onto a sharp,
broken tree stump. Ed manages to catch Janet as
she jumps but he falls through the window and
he fi nds himself hanging by a tearing curtain.
Thankfully, Lorraine confronts Valak just in
time and condemns it back to Hell, allowing her
to pull the twosome back to safety.8
THE DEMON NUN
The Demon Nun provides many of The
Conjuring 2’s most effective scares but
her best scene is undoubtedly the one that sees
Lorraine wander into Ed’s study and become
increasingly frightened of the nun painting he
had created in a previous scene. When turning
on the lamp beside it doesn’t calm her, she runs
for the door, only to have it shut in her face.
As she creeps backward, a shadowy fi gure
stalks the walls and ends up stood behind the
painting. Fingers start to curl round the canvas
and then a physical nun, holding the art in
front of her face, runs at Lorraine. It’s absolutely
brilliant and the scene stays with you long after
it’s fi nished.6
DON’T TALK WITH
YOUR MOUTH FULL
The Conjuring 2 is full of brilliant
set-pieces but one particular stand-out
sequence sees Janet Hodgson prove
she’s being used as a conduit by a dead
man by holding water in her mouth and
allowing the spirit to converse with Ed.
It’s framed beautifully, with Ed
occupying most of the foreground in-focus
while Janet sits on an armchair in the
blurred background. As the vengeful
entity starts talking to Ed, Janet’s hazy
silhouette morphs into that of an old
man’s, only reverting back when he holds
a crucifi x out behind him.9
STOP PULLING
MY LEG
It’s often said that what you
imagine is worse than the actual thing.
The Conjuring plays on that notion in
a scene that sees a sleeping Christine
awakened by a persistent tugging at
her leg. Having peered under the bed
and seeing nothing, she suddenly spots
something that paralyses her with fear.
Christine whispers for her sleeping sister,
who – like us – can’t see the entity that is
petrifying her sibling, even after walking
right into the spot in question.
It ends with Christine yelping, ‘It’s right
behind you,’ as the door slams itself shut.7
CAROLYN PERRON’S
EXORCISM
While The Conjuring is full of scary
moments, it’s more about what you don’t see
than what you do. So it makes one-heck-of-an-
impact when it suddenly gets a bit more action-
packed and grisly towards the end.
In an attempt to rid Carolyn Perron of the
demon that’s been gradually taking over her
throughout the fi lm, the Warrens strap her to a
chair and cover her in a sheet while they try to
exorcise her. Things quickly escalate, as her skin
starts to burn, her bloodied distorted face bursts
through its cover and the chair starts to levitate.
But it’s the other characters’ frantic desperation
to save Carolyn that hits hardest.10
ED SINGS ELVIS
All of The Conjuring fi lms have
managed to mix serious emotion
in with its scares. Throughout each fi lm, there
have been characters you want to root for,
whether it’s the close-knit Perron family, the
struggling Hodgsons, the expectant Forms
or the grieving Mullins.
But its beating heart has always been the
Warrens, so we couldn’t help falling in love
with the scene where Ed sings an acoustic
version of Elvis’ ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love.’
He’s not necessarily singing it to Lorraine, he’s
performing it in an attempt to momentarily cheer
up some haunted clients, but the glances shared
between the pair say it all. Swoon.