Since 2013, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson have acted side-by-side in productions that became benchmarks in the supernatural horror genre. They also shared the screen in an action thriller, proving their partnership goes beyond the Warren couple.
How Two Actors Changed the Course of Modern Horror in Their First Collaboration
In The Conjuring (2013), directed by James Wan (Saw), Vera Farmiga plays Lorraine Warren and Patrick Wilson portrays Ed Warren. The film was inspired by a real-life case involving the Perron family in Rhode Island.
The $20 million budget grossed over $300 million at the worldwide box office. This success made Wan one of the most in-demand names in the genre. The cast also featured Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor, who brought the terrified parents to life.
Fun Fact: The real Lorraine Warren visited the set and approved Vera’s performance.
The film received critical acclaim, made it onto best-of-2013 lists, and paved the way for a profitable franchise.
The Trip to London That Took Audiences to One of the Most Famous Supernatural Cases
The Conjuring 2 (2016), again directed by James Wan, took the Warrens to the Enfield case in London. The film grossed over $320 million, outperforming the first one commercially.
Farmiga extensively studied interviews of Lorraine, while Wilson prepared to play the guitar on screen. The cast included Madison Wolfe as Janet Hodgson and Frances O’Connor as the mother.
Another fun fact: the song Ed plays in the movie was actually performed by Patrick.
The production was nominated for an MTV Movie Award in the Best Scare category. The highlight came from the Valak the Nun scene, which quickly gained notoriety and achieved pop culture status. The awards often celebrate memorable sequences, and including a horror film among the nominees showed how the genre carved out space in popular awards shows. For James Wan, it was also a sign that the work could compete side-by-side with major blockbusters.
- Read more: Review The Conjuring: Last Rites settles for being just a jump-scare movie — nothing more
A Brief Entry Connected Stories and Left Hidden Clues
In Annabelle Comes Home (2019), directed by Gary Dauberman, the Warrens appear only in the introduction.
They bring the Annabelle doll to the room of cursed artifacts, creating a narrative bridge with the saga’s spin-offs. Even with limited screen time, their appearance connects the main story to other spin-offs. The film grossed over $230 million worldwide. The cast notably featured Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) as Judy Warren, the couple’s daughter.
Fun Fact: the film won the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film in 2019.
The Commuter Brings the Partnership Back, This Time in a Thriller
The Commuter (2018), by Jaume Collet-Serra, brings together Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, and Liam Neeson once again in a relentless railway thriller. The story shows Neeson as an ordinary worker who, on a crowded train, receives a proposal from Joanna (Farmiga) capable of altering destinies. What seemed simple soon turns into a puzzle of blackmail and moral dilemmas.
Wilson plays Murphy, the protagonist’s long-time colleague. What seems like just a common friendship soon reveals itself to be a central part of the conspiracy. Initial trust gives way to suspicion, and the relationship between the two drives some of the film’s most important twists.
The screenplay poses uncomfortable questions to the audience: how far would someone go to protect their family?
Sam Neill and Elizabeth McGovern round out the cast, adding layers of tension to the train’s closed environment.
The film grossed nearly $120 million internationally. Collet-Serra, already a collaborator with Neeson on other thrillers, explores the confined space as a narrative engine here.
This movie is for those who have claustrophobia and for those who don’t, but might start to. If you accept the challenge, it’s available on Adrenalina Pura+, a channel for action and adventure fans. Within Amazon Prime Video, Claro TV+, and Apple TV.
- See also: In an interview, Darren Aronofsky shows that he no longer wants to be the ‘weird filmmaker’
The Courtroom Was the Backdrop for the Boldest Part of the Conjuring Franchise
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) marked James Wan’s departure from the director’s chair, replaced by Michael Chaves. The narrative was inspired by the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson in 1981 in Connecticut. It was the first time in U.S. legal history that a defendant claimed possession as part of their defense. Johnson was 19 when he killed his landlord, Alan Bono, after a confrontation. Before the crime, records show he had attended exorcism sessions involving his girlfriend’s younger brother.
Wilson portrayed a vulnerable Ed Warren, facing serious heart problems that limit his work as an investigator. This physical condition brought new tensions to the narrative: in every scene, doubt looms about his resistance to supernatural manifestations.
Farmiga worked on Lorraine’s spiritual side with intensity, highlighting moments of trance and visions that guide the case. The character gains even greater weight as the investigation’s guide, balancing faith and rationality. This division of roles between the two actors made the dynamic more dramatic and gave new life to the duo in the series’ third chapter.
The film grossed over $200 million, even with pandemic restrictions. And it won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Horror Movie in 2021. The cast included Ruairi O’Connor as Arne Johnson and Sarah Catherine Hook as Debbie.
The Official Farewell Announced for 2025 with Promises of Closing the Warrens’ Arc
In The Conjuring 4: The Last Rite (2025), the case of the Smurl family, which occurred in Pennsylvania during the 1970s and 1980s, will be tackled.
Jack and Janet reported phenomena in their home: noises, odors, aggressive behaviors, and an object hitting one of their daughters.
Ed and Lorraine Warren were called after exorcism attempts failed. The investigation included audio recordings capturing the disturbing sounds described by the family.
Although the couple maintained there was a demonic presence, external opinions varied. The Smurl family gained national visibility with appearances on shows like Larry King Live, although some questioned the legitimacy of the events.
For the series’ final episode, the script was written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (Aquaman, 2018), Richard Naing (Eli, 2019), and Michael Chaves (who also directs). It also features James Wan as a producer. The cast reunites Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, plus Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy as members of the Warren family.
A Return to the Origins Before the Finale
Before the premiere of The Conjuring 4: The Last Rite, Warner Bros. has prepared a special marathon in Brazilian theaters. On August 21, 2025, the first three titles in the series — The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016), and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) — return to the big screen in back-to-back sessions.
It’s a chance to rewatch the trilogy on the big screen, with the sound and atmosphere they were designed for. Plus, the re-release serves as the perfect warm-up for the fourth film.
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