Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson say goodbye to The Conjuring movies

The Conjuring movies (2013 to present) may be horror by blood, but they have the beating heart of a grand romance.

- Kellina Moore

Though ghosts and jump scares abound, at their core, they are driven by the profound bond between Ed and Lorraine Warren. The real-life American demon-hunting couple took on countless haunting cases, and the films follow a fictional version of them, played by American actors Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. They not only visit haunted houses and perform exorcisms, but also slow dance and fawn over each other.

But do not take it from me. The pair also say the films have succeeded because of the relationship.

"I can’t believe I’m about to quote the Bible," Wilson said, "but it’s something like, ‘Perfect love pushes out fear’ Our whole series is summed up in that. What is that quote?"

Farmiga completed it for him: "Perfect love drives out fear."

More than a decade of demon-hunting and romance is coming to an end with the fourth instalment of the franchise, The Conjuring: Last Rites, directed by American filmmaker Michael Chaves and co-produced by Malaysian-Australian director James Wan. It is showing in Singapore cinemas.

In a wide-ranging video interview, Wilson and Farmiga, both 52, discussed their roles as mum and dad of horror and how they said goodbye to their most recognisable characters. Even through separate video squares, with Wilson in Atlanta and Farmiga in New York, the compelling chemistry between the two was unmistakable.

Below are edited excerpts from the conversation.

I’m curious to hear more about how you came to this project, with the first movie The Conjuring (2013).