10 Moments In Horror Where Actors Weren't Acting

The Conjuring has plenty of haunting moments, including the prologue, the dancing ghost child, and the reveal of the demon, which is sure to give any first-time viewer the fright of their life.

But another moment that deserves to be singled out is when Carolyn (Lili Taylor) is playing hide-and-clap with her children. As she follows the sound of clapping throughout her darkened house, she's ultimately led to a wardrobe, where she expects to find her daughter. 

But when she opens it, Carolyn finds the wardrobe to be empty. While Carolyn tries to process what's happening, a pair of clapping hands appear behind her, causing her to let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

The minimalism approach works in the scene's favour, creating a gripping atmosphere without relying on conventional scare tactics, like gore or demonic imagery. 

Another reason why the sequence is so tense is Taylor's convincing performance... or lack thereof.

Lily Taylor is totally believable here since she didn't have a clue when the claps were going to happen or from where. Keeping Taylor in the dark about this detail helped her invoke a natural response, during filming which added a dollop of unease and apprehension to his scene.