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There are horror movie franchises that typically follow a rigid formula, like Friday the 13th. Then there are those that form a larger universe in an attempt to be as cohesive and interesting as possible. The Conjuring Universe was created in 2013 after the success of The Conjuring. The franchise revolves around the “real” paranormal cases investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren, who are played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively. Over the past decade, the movies set in The Conjuring Universe, like The Nun and Annabelle, have collectively raked in over $2 billion at the box office.
The franchise has been helmed by six different directors and 10 different writers over the years, so the movies do vary wildly in quality. Let’s take a look at the 9 films in The Conjuring Universe and see how they stack up against one another.
9. Annabelle
The first spin-off of The Conjuring Universe is also easily the worst movie in the franchise. Annabelle was released in 2014, and it was directed by John R. Leonetti (The Silence). The film depicts the origin of the cursed doll Annabelle that is found in the Warren’s home in The Conjuring. The movie follows a couple named Mia (Annabelle Wallis) and John (Ward Horton) and the paranormal activity that occurs after a home invasion. Unfortunately, Mia and John feel like cheap, dull copies of the Warrens.
It’s one of those horror movies that feels like it’s much longer than it actually is because it’s terribly paced. Most of the tension in the film is created by a doll that doesn’t move, and because the main antagonist is stationary, the film ends up being quite boring with no real payoff. Most of the side characters don’t get decent endings either, with Evelyn’s (Alfre Woodard) story being practically pointless. It doesn’t even tie greatly into The Conjuring, with the doll being passed onto its owners only at the end of the film.
8. Annabelle: Creation
Annabelle: Creation serves as a prequel to the original Annabelle, and it was directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Shazam!). Released in 2017, the prequel documents the actual origin of the Annabelle doll, and how a demon attached itself to it. The movie takes place at the home of Samuel (Anthony LaPaglia) and Esther Mullins (Miranda Otto), who take in six orphan girls and a nun named Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman) years after their own daughter is tragically hit and killed by a car.
Despite being low on this list, Annabelle: Creation is not a bad film. The young girls that deal with the demon, Linda (Lulu Wilson) and Janice (Talitha Bateman) are sympathetic, and you believe how terrified they are in the movie. LaPaglia’s performance comes across as odd, but not out of place, and there are plenty of good scares and creepy sequences scattered throughout. Its connection to the original Annabelle is also quite well done. But the story beats make the film feel repetitive, which is only enhanced by the 110-minute runtime. Some multi-layered characters would have greatly improved it as well.
7. The Nun II
The Nun II, which was released in 2023 and directed by Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It), is the ninth movie in The Conjuring Universe, and the seventh entry on this list. It takes place directly after The Nun, with Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, and Bonnie Aarons returning as Sister Irene, Frenchie, and The Nun/Valak respectively. It follows Sister Irene who is tasked with investigating a series of murders in churches across Europe.
Like the films ranked lower than it, The Nun II suffers from poor pacing and character issues. It also feels like a redundant copy of the first film despite changing up some of the characters. It has a lighting issue, where many of the scenes are far too dark, even for a horror movie. Yet, the film is filled with some terrific scary sequences, introducing a brilliant demonic creature in the third act.
6. The Curse of La Llorona
Released in 2019 and directed by Michael Chaves, The Curse of La Llorona is the only one on this list to be tangentially related to The Conjuring Universe. It contains no real connections to the wider franchise other than the inclusion of Father Perez (Tony Amendola) who also appeared in Annabelle. The film follows a social worker named Anna (Linda Cardellini), who unknowingly brings a curse upon her and her two children after attempting to help another family through her work.
La Llorona (Marisol Ramirez) herself is why the film is ranked so highly, as she is a complex antagonist compared to the rest of the villains in the franchise. Cardellini’s performance is fantastic as you absolutely believe that she is a terrified mother frightened of losing her children. They seek the help of an ex-priest named Rafael (Raymond Cruz) who provides some much-needed levity in the third act. The script is solid, although it isn’t packed with scary moments.
5. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
The third movie in the main series of films, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was released in 2021 and directed by Michael Chaves. Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) become involved in a murder trial when Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor) brutally stabs his landlord after Ed witnesses his possession. While the first two movies followed the Warrens investigating a paranormal case, this film is more of a murder investigation rather than a series of hauntings, acting as a sort of departure for the entire franchise. This isn’t a negative, as the shake-up was needed.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’s main issues stem from the film’s villain, and the mystery surrounding them. It never ventures into interesting, and by the end, it wafts into familiar territory. The relationship between Ed and Lorraine is given more of a focus in this story, which is a good thing for most of the film, but it gets a little too hokey by the end. It also ends on a note that should have closed the main series as a trilogy of films, and yet another one is in development.
4. The Nun
The Nun is the first spin-off of The Conjuring 2, focusing on that film’s antagonist Valak, as played by Bonnie Aarons. It introduces Sister Irene to the franchise, as she and Father Burke (Demián Bichir) are dispatched by the Vatican to investigate the suicide of a nun. The film was released in 2018 and was directed by Colin Hardy. The Nun is one of the only movies in the franchise that is truly scary, with a terrifying burial sequence and a creepy third act.
The movie also has a fair number of twists and turns that, while expected, are intriguing enough to sustain your interest during most of the film’s 96-minute runtime. Out of all the spin-offs The Nun’s connection to the original, The Conjuring is easily the best. It’s also got some humor, which is always appreciated. It occasionally lingers in uninteresting scenes distracting from the narrative. While The Nun is creepy, she is easily far more menacing in The Conjuring 2.
3. Annabelle Come Home
The main reason Annabelle Comes Home is so high on the list is because unlike some of the other films in The Conjuring Universe, it has a tremendous premise. Released in 2019 and directed by Gary Dauberman – who wrote most of the spin-offs including this one – Annabelle Comes Home is the third Annabelle movie. It isn’t necessarily a prequel to The Conjuring, instead taking place after the doll’s appearance in The Conjuring, but before much of the rest of the movie.
Annabelle is unleashed inside the Warrens’ Museum, where she takes control of some of the other cursed items. Annabelle Comes Home features the Warrens once again, and Mckenna Grace also as Judy Warren, their daughter. Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, and Michael Cimino play Mary Ellen, Daniela Rios, and Bob Palmeri respectively. The movie is funny and charming, and focusing on how the Warrens’ life affects their daughter was an inspired choice. The different demons and cursed items make for a unique take on the haunted house genre, and aside from some small pacing issues, it’s a great heartfelt story.
2. The Conjuring 2
The second entry in the main series of films, The Conjuring 2, is also the second-best movie in The Conjuring Universe. Directed by James Wan, the movie was released in 2016. The film begins with a recap of the Warrens’ visit to Amityville (yes, that Amityville) before Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) head to London to investigate the possession of a young girl. The Conjuring 2 deals with the interesting repercussions of a possible hoax, while repeating the well-worn story of a mother (Frances O’Connor) afraid for her children.
Moreso than the first film, this sequel focuses on Lorraine’s premonition of an entity killing her husband. This is the first movie that features Valak (Bonnie Aarons) as the main antagonist, as she uses another spirit to mask her intentions. While The Conjuring 2 has more heart than the original, the story is where it falls short. The third act is muddled, with one of the worst endings in the entire franchise. It weighs the film down but even so, the movie is nearly tied with our number one entry.
1. The Conjuring
The first movie in The Conjuring Universe is the best movie in the franchise, even if it’s just slightly better than the sequel. The Conjuring was directed by James Wan and released in 2013. It introduces many characters and plot lines that are explored in the sequels, including the Warrens, Annabelle, and perhaps retroactively, the first example of an individual possessed by Valak. The movie sees the Warrens travel to the home of Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and Roger Perron (Ron Livingston), as they and their children have felt and seen some extreme paranormal activity in their house.
The reason the film ranks so highly is because it doesn’t have any of the problems the other films are bogged down by. There aren’t many pacing issues, and the characters are interesting, especially seeing as this is the first time we’re meeting the main characters, Ed and Lorraine. The Conjuring is also filled with creepy sequences and brilliant scares. While the main demon is expunged with an old-fashioned exorcism, sometimes the simple tropes are more effective.
