Complete Guide to Watching The Conjuring Movies in Order

For real horror fans, The Conjuring Universe definitely promises and delivers some truly satisfying scares. Consisting of several main movies and spin-offs, you can either watch The Conjuring movies in order of release or chronologically. Here’s a guide for what to expect from each movie and which order would work best for you.

How Many The Conjuring Movies Are There?

There are eight movies in total in The Conjuring franchise: three main ones and five spin-offs or sequels that deepen the stories further.

The three main movies in the franchise are The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Apart from those, there are three Annabelle movies, a stand-alone feature called The Curse of La Llorona, and the movie The Nun.

The Conjuring Movies in Order of Release

Right now, the whole franchise spans almost nine years. During that time, eight movies have been released in total, and two more are expected at some point in the future.

1. The Conjuring (2013)

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As the first movie in the franchise, The Conjuring is the audience’s first encounter with Ed and Lorraine Warren, a pair of paranormal investigators. The movie follows the story of the Perron family that moves into a secluded house — which turns out to be haunted by a witch called Bathsheba Sherman.

2. Annabelle (2014)

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Serving as a The Conjuring prequel, Annabelle is the first movie that deals directly with haunted dolls. It focuses on the Annabelle doll, which you may have caught a glimpse of in the first Conjuring movie.

The feature mainly focuses on how the doll terrorizes a married couple who’s expecting a child. In the end, you get a chance to see how the doll ended up with a nursing student who, coincidentally, appears in the prologue of The Conjuring.

3. The Conjuring 2 (2016)

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Three years after the release of The Conjuring, the fandom got a sequel. This time, Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to the North London suburb of Enfield to help the Hodgson family deal with a persistent poltergeist. The Hodgson family has been experiencing some strange activity in their home. Soon enough, though, it’s revealed that the poltergeist is a mere pawn used by a sinister demon named Valak.

4. Annabelle: Creation (2017)

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As the title says, this is an Annabelle prequel that details how the doll came to be and why it was possessed in the first place. It focuses on a group of orphan girls who move into a dollmaker’s house and soon discover the evil that is the Annabelle doll. With many jump scares, the story unfolds into a terrifying twist that intertwines with the first Annabelle movie!

5. The Nun (2018)

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The Nun is both a spin-off and a prequel to The Conjuring 2, as it depicts the demon Valak, though in much greater detail. The story follows a Roman Catholic priest and a nun in novitiate (in training) as they investigate and face a malevolent force in the form of Valak, who appears as a demonic nun. The movie was inspired by Ed and Lorraine Warren’s encounter with a spectral nun in the 1970s.

6. The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

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This 2019 movie has many connections to the Conjuring Universe, but it is largely seen as a stand-alone feature. It tells the story of a caseworker who believes she’s dealing with a simple case of neglect but instead learns that a vengeful Mexican spirit was after the children she was trying to protect — and now, it’s coming for her own kids too.

7. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

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The latest Annabelle movie follows Ed and Lorraine Warren after they confiscate the doll and lock it in a sacred glass case in their home. The couple then leaves their daughter with the babysitter and goes on a trip, unaware that in just a few hours, Annabelle will find a way to escape and awaken other spirits found in their artifacts room.

8. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

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Finally, there’s the sequel to the previous Conjuring movies that once again gives a glimpse into a real case Ed and Lorraine dealt with. This time, the story first focuses on the Warrens as they investigate the demonic possession of David Glatzel. The story then continues into the aftermath of the exorcism, which left Arne Johnson possessed and facing a murder trial for killing his landlord.

As of 2022, there are two more movies planned in the franchise. The upcoming The Crooked Man is based on the story of James Wan, who is the creator of The Conjuring Universe. There will also be a sequel to the movie The Nun, only this time, the story is written by Akela Cooper, who rose to prominence as a screenwriter for the movie Malignant (2021), which was directed by James Wan.

The Conjuring Universe Timeline in Order

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The actual stories behind The Conjuring Universe movies span 29 years, from 1952 until 1981:

• The Nun – 1952
• Annabelle: Creation – 1955
• Annabelle – 1967
• The Conjuring – 1971
• Annabelle Comes Home – 1972
• The Curse of La Llorona – 1973
• The Conjuring 2 – 1977
• The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It – 1981

The order you pick to watch the movies is a personal decision and depends on how interested you are in following the stories and figuring out the many easter eggs directors have left in all of the movies.

That said, it may be best to watch the movies in order of release if you’re watching them for the very first time. Once you know the stories and the characters a bit better, binge-watch the whole series again in chronological order to frame the stories better in your mind.

Better yet, leave the chronological order for later, just in case there are some spoilers hidden in the movies. With nail-biting horrors like these, you want to experience the full terror and not know in advance what might happen!

Where to Watch The Conjuring Movies

Since The Conjuring Universe is so popular, you can stream, rent, or buy the movies in the US on a range of websites and apps. However, note that the information below is prone to change, as some streaming services, like Netflix and similar, tend to offer movies for a limited time only.