The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It pays direct homage to The Exorcist on many occasions. Given the inspiration from the horror classic, the third Conjuring outing doesn’t just grant respect to the plot of the 1973 film; it also mirrors the film’s most notorious shot.
Since its 2013 conception, the Conjuring franchise has been no stranger to the notion of demonic possession. Considering the volume of content, it was only a matter of time before the series gave a shout-out to the grandfather of all exorcism-related films. The Devil Made Me Do It marks the eighth chapter in the franchise, but only the third entry for paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, not counting their brief appearance in Annabelle Comes Home. That said, given the Warrens’ history with demons, The Conjuring 3 feels like the right movie to warrant a tribute to The Exorcist‘s most iconic frame.
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The classic shot of William Friedkin’s horror masterpiece comes just before the third act of the film when Father Marrin — “the old priest,” as portrayed by Max von Sydow — is called in to oversee young Regan, as she is tormented by her demonic host. The memorable piano score — Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” — kicks in just before a cab pulls up to the MacNeil home. Out steps a dark silhouette in a fedora, holding a briefcase, illuminated only by the light of a blaring street lamp above. The haunting image became the film’s poster. It was recognized as one of the most exemplary visual images in all of horror cinema.
Owen Roizman, The Exorcist‘s cinematographer, shot the famous moment as a nod to the cryptic Belgian artist René Magritte, specifically his 1949 painting, L’empire des lumières. The title translates to “The Dominion of Light,” in which a dimly lit house hovers over a lone street lamp, illuminating itself while shrouded in darkness. The painting is eerie yet enchanting, inspiring its surrealist author to recreate the design seventeen more times. Some of the iterations even feature a shadow of a man in a bowler hat. Considering not just the moody atmosphere but with the title of the piece alone, Magritte’s painting is a worthy inspiration for that Exorcist shot.
These references come full circle with an early scene in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. With Michael Chaves now in the director’s chair, the Warrens’ third chapter introduces their latest supernatural encounter in the form of an eight-year-old boy under demonic possession — opening the door for Ed and Lorraine to intervene with the devil. Before they can arrive at the scene, though, a mysterious man appears outside the boys’ home at night, standing under a dim light while sporting a familiar hat and briefcase. The frightening homage has been paid once again, and in one of their most frightening cases yet. The third Conjuring film feels like an excellent place for an Exorcist reference.
Directed by Michael Chaves, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It stars Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook and Julian Hilliard. It is currently playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.
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