Over the last few years, The Conjuring franchise has gradually evolved into one of Hollywood's strangest entities. It's a cohesive cinematic universe in the vein of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DC Extended Universe, but it does so with a decidedly scarier slant. That has worked for many audiences so far, but an Honest Trailer has just debuted to skewer the entire franchise's use of horror tropes. Check it out, below!
It does not matter if you are a fan of The Conjuring or not; that video kind of nails it. From the exposition dumps to the emphasis on following proper act structure (which seems very prominent in the first movie), The Conjuring series is not without its own fair share of flaws. Then, of course, the video also brings up the fact that the films are seemingly based on true stories, while also acknowledging the fact that Warner Bros settled a lawsuit when it could not actually prove that ghosts were real.
Perhaps one of the most interesting observations raised by this video is the sheer number of similarities shared between The Conjuring and Insidious. Both are brainchildren of James Wan, and both prominently feature Patrick Wilson in starring roles. Moreover, both are demonic tales, with haunted houses playing key roles in both franchises.
Of course, even with the issues raised by this particular Honest Trailer, it's worth noting that The Conjuring franchise is doing a number of things right in the creation of a cohesive world. For starters, there is a clear timeline on display, with each adventure taking place in a unique time and place on said timeline (for those of you who don't know, The Nun is chronologically first).
Another element that keeps The Conjuring universe interesting (though it's still lampooned in the video) is the fact that the archives of Ed and Lorraine Warren are so ripe for seemingly unlimited adaptations. As of right now, only the Annabelle doll has been spun off, but with The Nun right around the corner and an adaptation of The Crooked Man (who appeared in The Conjuring 2) on the way, it's obvious that there's a lot of room to keep diving into the case files and the trinkets in the Warren household to bring new tales to life.
Regardless of how you feel about The Conjuring and its burgeoning cinematic universe, you can catch the latest installment in the series this weekend when The Nun premieres on September 6. If you are looking for more information about all of the films that are going to debut this year, then make sure to head over to CinemaBlend's 2018 movie premiere guide to read up on all of them!
