In the Frame: ‘Conjuring 2’ uses more than acting to amaze

Jason, Samara, Freddy, Michael, Kayako, Pennywise and so many more—cinema takes pride in introducing us to nightmares that remain visible long after the last line in the credits.

There is one problem: not many people know the flesh-and-bone reason that help realize these fears. Javier Botet is an example.

In the second installment to James Wan’s massive supernatural hit, “The Conjuring,” the 38-year-old Spanish actor appears as The Crooked Man, an entity dwelling in their Enfield, England council house. To be frank, the creature seems extraneous in the film, but I glee every time Botet is given a role in an industry that prizes perfection.

Botet, in a way, is a success story. With a height of 6 feet 6 inches (a lanky-plus-lengthy frame) and extreme flexibility due to Marfan syndrome, he has turned what could be seen as detriments into a valuable asset. I mean, look at this:

 

Yep, that was Botet, or Mama without the CGI. While it’s true that the 2013 Guillermo del Toro-produced horror film was his breakout role, Botet has made his mark on audiences six years ago as the possessed Niña Medeiros in [Rec] of which “Quarantine” remade almost shot-for-shot.

[SPOILERS FOR [REC]… BUT WHY HAVE YOU NOT SEEN THIS FILM YET?]

Since then, and with Mama becoming a box office hit, Botet has been busy donning makeup and becoming a tangible fear factor for performers to react to in three more “[Rec]” installments, “The Other Side of the Door” as the four-armed deity Myrtu and, my personal favorite, “Crimson Peak” where he played three clay-drenched wives haunting the mansion.

“It’s very uncomfortable. The skin stops breathing,” Botet said, describing to horror-centric site, ShockTillYouDrop, when he played Medeiros in the first two ‘[Rec]’ films. “The makeup on the face, I can’t eat because the hole of (Medeiros)’ mouth was over my real mouth. All day I was only drinking fluids (through a straw) and eating nothing for 23 hours a day.”

Perhaps there will be a time when an unaltered Botet appears in a Hollywood production, but this occasion should not happen. Acting with prosthetics—as he admitted—isn’t easy, but in a time when CGI abuse is prevalent, the performer’s perseverance brings about genuine movie magic—or fear.

Although Botet is the main subject, it seems fitting to shout out to all the unique people who entertain us through masks, protrusions, latex and contortions.

“The Conjuring 2” will be on Blu-ray and DVD on Sept. 13.

Side note: Botet is also an illustrator. See his work here.