It’s officially October which means most genre fans have already started their horror movie marathons. There have been so many amazing new horror films to come out in the last decade and arguably the most popular has been The Conjuring, from director James Wan. The 2013 smash hit supernatural fright-fest spawned one of the most successful franchises in cinematic history. In particular, 2016’s The Conjuring 2 is one of the best sequels the horror genre has ever seen. Now Wan has released a new behind-the-scenes video of star Patrick Wilson rehearsing the most heartfelt moment from that film.
The Conjuring 2 once again followed famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Wilson and Vera Farmiga, as they went to London to tackle the famous “Enfield Poltergeist” case. The BTS video shows Wilson recording his rendition of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” This was featured in a key moment in the film where Ed uses his love for music to help strengthen the Hodgson family's bond in their ghostly time of need. While this epic film is more known for the haunting scares of Valak the demon nun and The Crooked Man, Wilson's giving his rendition of the classic Elvis tune is one of the best moments in the entire franchise. It also just happens to be Wan's favorite scene from the sequel. As Wan put it, it’s “the scene that got me to want to come back and do The Conjuring 2.”
“The way it illustrates how they help/comfort the family, but ultimately plays into Lorraine’s troubled emotion and her fear of losing Ed (played perfectly by Vera),” Wan wrote. The famous horror director finished his post by saying, “This was the first thing I thought of for the movie and that I pitched to Patrick. Actually, I asked him if he could play the guitar and sing, and he said, “That’s literally the other thing I do!” And boy does Wilson know how to sing. His Elvis impression is all things funny, joyful, and spot on.
Wan absolutely hit the nail on the head with his post. While The Conjuring is a horror series about bumps in the night, it's also a very human story about the power of family, love, and the strength that it takes to help people in need. What makes The Conjuring trilogy so great besides the brilliant performances and scares, is its emotionally rich storytelling. Wan understands the most important aspect of “ghost hunting” in a way that few filmmakers or even actual modern professionals in the field do. It’s not about fame or finding proof of the paranormal, it’s about helping people and families in their time of need — that’s what makes this musical moment in The Conjuring 2 so emotional. It shows how the love and heart that humanity shares allows the Warrens to find the strength to defeat evil. Even though this sequel takes some liberties with the Warren's actual involvement in the Enfield case, that doesn’t make Wilson’s beautiful performance any less impactful. When you add the loving bond that Ed and Lorraine share, particularly within the franchise, this scene will hit any genre fan in the heart.
The Conjuring 2 is one of the best horror films of the 20th century and Wilson’s charming Elvis cover is what brilliantly ties this endlessly scary film together. It not only gave audiences the necessary time to breathe in between all the demonic terror, it authentically and lovingly portrayed a crucial side of the paranormal field that we rarely see. Ghost hunting is a field meant to help people learn from and understand the abnormal problems they are going through, and the best investigators are able to provide comfort. There’s no better example of this in film than in The Conjuring 2 and this tear-jerking scene. You can watch Wan’s BTS video to see Wilson practicing his Elvis voice down below. It's just another reason why Wilson is a national treasure. You can also stream the entire Conjuring trilogy on HBO Max now.