7 Shocking Facts That Prove How Little Of 'The Conjuring' Movie Is Actually True
Every horror fan has asked the question: Is The Conjuring based on a true story? As of December 2025, the answer remains a firm and fascinating "yes, but barely." While the 2013 blockbuster film, directed by James Wan, is the cornerstone of a massive cinematic universe, the true-life events it portrays are a mere fraction of the on-screen terror. The real story of the Perron family haunting and the involvement of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren is a complex, decade-long ordeal far different—and in some ways, much creepier—than the movie’s fictionalized climax. This is the definitive breakdown of what was fact, what was Hollywood fiction, and the latest updates on the most famous haunting case in modern history.
The film’s marketing famously proclaimed it was "Based on the True Case Files of Ed and Lorraine Warren." This statement is accurate, yet misleading. The real-life case, which took place in the 1970s, involved a family’s prolonged torment in a secluded Rhode Island farmhouse. The daughter of the family, Andrea Perron, who wrote a book about her experience, has stated that the movie is "about 95 percent fiction and about five percent hard truth." It is that five percent, however, that continues to fuel the franchise and terrify audiences worldwide.
The Real-Life Investigators and the Haunted Family: A Biography
The story of The Conjuring is inextricably linked to two couples: the world-renowned paranormal investigators and the family they claimed to help. Understanding their backgrounds is key to separating fact from cinematic embellishment.
Ed and Lorraine Warren: A Brief Biography
- Edward "Ed" Warren Miney: (September 7, 1926 – August 23, 2006). Ed was a self-taught demonologist and author. He was the only non-clergy member permitted by the Catholic Church to perform exorcisms, although this claim has been widely debated and contested.
- Lorraine Rita Warren (née Moran): (January 31, 1927 – April 18, 2019). Lorraine was a gifted clairvoyant and medium who claimed to be able to communicate with the spirits they investigated. She was the primary source of the "evidence" in many of their cases.
- Career & Legacy: The Warrens founded the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) in 1952. Their most famous cases, besides the Perron family, include the Amityville Horror haunting, the Annabelle doll case, and the Enfield Poltergeist. Their collection of haunted artifacts is housed in the Warren Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut.
- Controversy: The Warrens' work has always been controversial. Critics, including skeptics and other paranormal investigators, have accused them of fabricating evidence and sensationalizing stories for profit.
The Perron Family: The Victims of the Haunting
- Roger and Carolyn Perron: The parents who purchased the farmhouse in 1970.
- The Five Daughters: Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April Perron. Andrea Perron has been the most vocal family member, authoring the book series House of Darkness, House of Light, which details the decade-long ordeal.
- The Farmhouse: The real location is a secluded, 14-room farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island. The family moved in during 1971 and remained there until 1980, unable to afford to move out.
Fact vs. Fiction: The 7 Major Differences Between the Movie and the True Story
The movie is a condensed, dramatized version of a ten-year haunting. The creative license taken by director James Wan and screenwriters Chad and Carey Hayes is substantial. Here are the most significant differences that prove the movie is mostly fiction.
1. The Exorcism Never Happened
The film’s entire climax revolves around Ed Warren performing a terrifying exorcism on Carolyn Perron, who is possessed by the malevolent spirit Bathsheba Sherman. In reality, Ed Warren was not an ordained priest and had no authority to perform an exorcism. The Perron family confirms that a séance did take place, which they describe as a terrifying event where Carolyn was allegedly possessed, speaking in a foreign language and levitating. However, the Warrens' involvement was brief, and they were eventually asked to leave by Roger Perron, who felt their presence was escalating the paranormal activity, not stopping it.
2. The Haunting Lasted a Decade, Not a Few Weeks
In The Conjuring, the haunting is a rapid, escalating series of events that forces the Warrens to intervene and solve the problem in a matter of weeks. The real-life Perron family lived in the house from 1971 to 1980. They experienced a slow, constant trickle of paranormal activity for ten years, from strange smells and sounds to objects moving and beds levitating. The family was unable to leave due to financial constraints, making the real story a prolonged psychological torture.
3. Bathsheba Sherman Was Not a Demonic Witch
The film portrays Bathsheba Sherman as a Satan-worshipping witch who sacrificed her baby and cursed the land. This is the most significant fictionalization. Bathsheba Thayer Sherman was a real woman who lived in the 1800s. She was accused, but never convicted, of murdering a child, and there is no historical evidence to suggest she was a witch or a Satanist. Historical records show she died in 1885 of paralysis. The demonic entity in the house was never definitively identified as Bathsheba by the Perrons, though the Warrens popularized the theory.
4. The Spirits Were Mostly Benign
While the movie focuses on the single, malevolent entity of Bathsheba, the Perron family claimed to have encountered dozens of spirits, most of whom were harmless or even friendly. The daughters often played with the spirits, whom they nicknamed. The entities ranged from a little boy to a woman in a wedding gown. The only spirit considered truly malevolent was the one attached to Carolyn Perron. The movie's focus on a single, powerful demon was a necessary dramatic simplification.
5. The Warrens’ Involvement Was Minimal
The film shows Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga's portrayals of the Warrens spending significant time in the house. In reality, the Warrens' investigation was limited to a few visits in 1974. They documented their findings and performed the controversial séance, but they did not live with the family or become deeply embedded in their daily lives as depicted in the film. The bulk of the haunting was dealt with solely by the Perron family.
6. The Movie House is Not the Real House
The house used for filming The Conjuring is in Wilmington, North Carolina. The real farmhouse is located in Harrisville, Rhode Island, and is a private residence that has been purchased and sold multiple times since the Perrons left. The current owners of the real house have embraced its history, conducting their own paranormal investigations and even offering tours, ensuring the legend of the Conjuring House lives on.
7. The Annabelle Doll Was Not Involved in the Perron Case
The famous opening sequence of The Conjuring features the creepy Annabelle doll, which is then shown in the Warrens’ Occult Museum. While Annabelle is a real case from the Warrens' files, she had absolutely no connection to the Perron family haunting. Her inclusion in the film was purely a creative choice by James Wan to connect the movie to the larger Conjuring Universe franchise and establish the Warrens’ credentials. The real Annabelle doll is a Raggedy Ann doll, not the porcelain figure seen in the film and its subsequent spin-offs.
The True Legacy of The Conjuring
The true story of the Perron family haunting is less about jump scares and more about the psychological toll of living with the unknown for a decade. The fact that the family stayed in the house for so long, despite the terror, speaks volumes about the complexity of the situation. The cinematic universe, which includes films like Annabelle Comes Home, The Nun, and the upcoming The Conjuring: Last Rites, has become a global phenomenon, but it has also cemented the Warrens’ legacy as both heroes and controversial figures.
Ultimately, The Conjuring is a masterclass in horror filmmaking that took a true, terrifying account of a family's life and distilled it into a high-octane, fictionalized narrative. The "five percent hard truth" provides the chilling foundation, while the "95 percent fiction" delivers the box office gold. For those seeking the real terror, the Perron family's own accounts offer a deeper, more unsettling look into the Harrisville haunting than any Hollywood production ever could.
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