10 Horror Movies Based On True Stories (That Were All Lies)

Self-proclaimed demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren, investigated a myriad of famous hauntings throughout their prolific careers, which have been depicted in The Conjuring (and several films on our list).

In the first Conjuring, Ed and Lorraine investigate a house in Rhode Island owned by the Perron family, which was supposedly cursed by a witch. 

Carolyn Perron swore she had paranormal experiences in her home, but there's no evidence to back it up. The exorcism the Warrens perform never occurred since the practice can only be conducted by a Catholic priest. Furthermore, nobody has ever reported the Annabelle doll doing anything abnormal except the Warrens. (Also, the real Annabelle was a Raggedy Ann.)

The Conjuring 2, which focuses on The Enfield Poltergeist, takes further liberties than its predecessor. Even though the Warrens take centre stage in the story once more, they were barely involved (except to tell the family they could make money from the story). Skeptic investigator, Joe Nickell, stated all the spooky going-ons in the case were nothing more than unconvincing pranks.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It revolves around the first legal case in US history where a defence sought their client's innocence by pleading he was possessed. This sequel establishes this was the central defence of the accused despite the fact the real judge dismissed this claim outright. Also, the scenes of Ed nearly dying, the Warrens finding evidence of demonic cults, and encountering ghosts were nothing more than Hollywood inventions.

Factoring in the Warrens' highly questionable methods and propensity for confirmation bias, it's best to view The Conjuring as pure entertainment, nothing more.