Conjuring 3 Plot Synopsis
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It shifts its attention across to a prolific case from the Warren’s case-files, jumping back in time to July 18, 1981. The Glatzel family home plays host to an exorcism as Ed and Lorraine struggle to free a boy called David who has been possessed.
However, it soon becomes clear that the demon has jumped across to Arne. Through him, Arne brutally murders his landlord, leading Ed and Lorraine into a race against time to find who’s behind the curse hanging over the house.
How does Arne end up possessed?
During the film’s opening, David is being possessed by the demon. Arne sees what’s it’s doing to the boy and offers himself up as a sacrificial lamb. The demon then passes from David to Arne, lying dormant until an opportune time to strike. This comes in the form of Arne stabbing his landlord multiple times; a brutal, shocking murder that sees him facing a lengthy spell in prison.
The Warrens promise to help Arne and persuade his solicitor (through an off-screen evening with Annabelle) to make a defence of demonic possession. In order to back up this claim, Ed and Lorraine head out to find evidence to back up this claim.
Ed and Lorraine start investigating the Glatzel family home, noticing a strange rot in the guest bedroom. This is where David originally witnessed the demon lurking inside the water bed five months prior.
As Lorraine searches under the house, she finds a Witch’s Totem which happens to be the source of power.
What is Kastner hiding? Who are Jessica and Katie?
Ed and Lorraine head up to visit Kastner, who previously dealt with the Disciples of the Ram cult (another nod to the Annabelle spin-offs). He shows them a basement full of occultist items, something he thought about burning but decided to keep hidden as a way of “keeping guns off the streets”.
Anyway, as we soon come to learn, Kastner’s daughter is the one responsible for the curse. Her only motivation seems to be chaos, something that sends Ed and Lorraine on a goose chase to Danvers, Massachusetts. There, a similar stabbing to what happened with Arne has taken place.
Katie stabbed Jessica 22 times, eventually jumping to her death off a cliff. Lorraine’s visions help to piece together the clues, winning over a sceptic detective who’s remained baffled by this case for quite some time.
Jessica’s body is recovered from the water, leading Lorraine and Ed to break into the morgue after-hours. Lorraine holds the girl’s slimy hand, with the connection bringing her before the Occultist. Only, the connection works both ways.
The Occultist decides to try and get rid of Lorraine, realizing she knows too much. She sends a vase of flowers to Ed, possessing and turning him against Lorraine. In order to break the curse, the pair need to destroy the altar it was cast from.
What is the purpose of the curse?
As mentioned before, The Occultist’s aim is simply to cause chaos. In order to do so, she needs three victims to complete this ritual and appease the demon lurking in the shadows, promising her own soul if she’s unsuccessful. These three victims each serve a purpose. “The Child” is Jessica, while “The Lover” refers to Arne. The “man of God” is chosen to be Ed.
Unfortunately Kastner raising his daughter Lola (who becomes The Occultist) in secret, led to a fascination into the occult which initially piqued her interest to do this.
How does The Conjuring 3 end?
Ed and Lorraine venture into the tunnels lying under Kastner’s house. This serves as The Occultist’s base of operations. Ed eventually uses the power of love to shake off the curse and destroy the altar rather than his own wife. A memory of Lorraine and Ed’s unwavering love is what sparks him to keep up these mental barriers.
Within this memory, the pair went on their first date. Rain poured down, prompting the pair to seek shelter under a gazebo until it stopped. As Lorraine herself tells us through narration, “Love is not our weakness, it’s our strength.”
With the curse broken, The Occultist is faced with the demon whom she promised a soul. It can’t go back to Hell empty-handed so it takes hers instead.
In true Conjuring fashion, Ed and Lorraine place the cup from the altar in their room of artefacts. Ed has one more surprise though, he’s made a gazebo for Lorraine in their garden; a tribute to their moments together all those years ago.
What is the outcome of Arne’s court trial?
Arne’s court trial and subsequent issues are side-lined until near the end of the movie. Here, we learn that Arne was convicted of manslaughter.
This echoes the same story as the real life case, with the judge scoffing at the notion of a demonic possession defence. This was thrown out, while the court trial itself became known colloquially as “The Devil Made Me Do It” case.
Arne ended up serving 5 years of his 10-20 year sentence. He was released in January 1986 thanks to good behaviour.
Read More: The Conjuring 3 Movie Review
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