With The Conjuring: Last Rites heading to theaters, and Halloween just around the corner, there’s no doubt that many people will be looking to watch, or rewatch, all the movies in the cinematic universe in order.
The now nine-strong film franchise has so far grossed over $2.2 billion at the box office. While the entries have mainly received mixed reviews from critics, that hasn’t stopped it from becoming the highest-grossing horror franchise.
The series consists of three films in the core Conjuring series, namely The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and now The Conjuring: Last Rites. The Conjuring movies star Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as real-life paranormal investigators and are based on real cases they were involved with. Along with those, there are six spin-offs so far, which are Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, The Nun, Annabelle Comes Home, and The Nun II.
There is another film, considered by some to be part of the series due to marketing at the time, called The Curse of La Llorona, which was released in 2019. While it contains elements that connect it to the Conjuring Universe, director Michael Chaves, who also helmed three official films in the universe, has laid the debate to rest, declaring it not canon. Instead, it’s considered a standalone film with connections to the franchise.
So, if you wanted to watch all the canon entries in the hugely popular scary movies in chronological order, rather than the order they were released in theaters, how should you line them up and press play?
‘The Conjuring’ Catch Up Starts With ‘The Nun’
First up is 2018’s The Nun. The fifth film to be released, it was a spin-off of a character who first appeared in The Conjuring 2. Set in 1950s Romania, it tells the story of a priest with a haunted past, Father Burke, played by Demián Bichir, and Sister Irene, played by Taissa Farmiga, who is about to take her final vows. The Vatican sends them to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania, but when they get there, something malevolent is waiting for them, the demonic titular Nun called Valak. Critics hated this entry directed by Corin Hardy, but that didn’t stop the $22 million budget nightmare fuel from grossing $366 million worldwide, and it became the highest-grossing film of the Conjuring series on its original release. It also got a sequel.
Prequel ‘Annabelle: Creation’ Comes Next
After The Nun, you need to press play on Annabelle: Creation. This origin story of the maleficent doll is a prequel to 2014’s Annabelle and was the fourth installment in the Conjuring Universe to land in theaters. Made for $15 million, it grossed $306.5 million at the box office in 2017. It’s set twelve years after the tragic death of a little girl, the child of a doll-maker and his wife. When an orphanage is shuttered, the couple welcome a nun and several of the girls into their home. However, they quickly become the target of one of his possessed creations, Annabelle. Director David F. Sandberg, also known for Lights Out and both Shazam! movies, got inspiration for the Conjuring spin-off from such classic horror movies as The Haunting and The Shining. Like The Nun, Annabelle: Creation also got a sequel.
‘The Nun II’ Is Up Third
After The Nun, you need to press play on Annabelle: Creation. This origin story of the maleficent doll is a prequel to 2014’s Annabelle and was the fourth installment in the Conjuring Universe to land in theaters. Made for $15 million, it grossed $306.5 million at the box office in 2017. It’s set twelve years after the tragic death of a little girl, the child of a doll-maker and his wife. When an orphanage is shuttered, the couple welcome a nun and several of the girls into their home. However, they quickly become the target of one of his possessed creations, Annabelle. Director David F. Sandberg, also known for Lights Out and both Shazam! movies, got inspiration for the Conjuring spin-off from such classic horror movies as The Haunting and The Shining. Like The Nun, Annabelle: Creation also got a sequel.
Time For ‘The Conjuring’ Of ‘Annabelle’
Annabelle needs to be next on the watch list. Although it is fourth on the list, it was the first spin-off and second film released in the Conjuring Universe. The supernatural horror landed in theaters in 2014 as a prequel to The Conjuring. It was inspired by a story about a doll made famous by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. After the great reception The Conjuring received, critics tore into this, but fans turned out, and it still grossed over $257 million worldwide on a $6.5 million budget. Set in Santa Monica, California, in the late 1960s, the era of the Manson family, a couple’s home is invaded by satanic cultists, and not long after, they begin to experience terrifying supernatural occurrences involving a vintage doll. Although it's not great, one intriguing aspect of Annabelle is that it was shot in sequence, so the actors were always aware of their emotional arcs, which does help a bit.
‘The Conjuring’ Started It All
At number five in the binge fest, we have the very first Conjuring movie, and it’s the 2013 original that started it all. Most fans of the franchise still consider it the best one. Directed by James Wan, The Conjuring introduced audiences to Wilson and Farmiga as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, respectively. Set three years after they investigated the aforementioned murderous Annabelle doll, The Conjuring, originally titled The Warren Files, has the couple heading to Rhode Island to help the Perron family, who have moved into a farmhouse and are experiencing paranormal activity. As with Annabelle, the film was shot in chronological order. Leaning into the fact that it was based on a true story, The Conjuring was a bona fide hit, grossing $319 million worldwide against a $20 million budget, and a franchise was born.
‘Annabelle Comes Home’ Sixth In ‘The Conjuring’ Binge
Annabelle Comes Home was both written and directed by Gary Dauberman. The third Annabelle-focussed film landed in theaters in 2019 and got a much more lukewarm reaction than Annabelle: Creation. This one features McKenna Grace making her Conjuring franchise debut as Judy Warren, the daughter of Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Wilson and Farmiga. When the parents have to go out of town, they leave Madison Iseman’s Mary Ellen to babysit; however, the teen and a friend can’t resist temptation, and while sneaking a peek at the Warrens’ supernatural collection, they accidentally awaken an evil spirit trapped in a doll, which is, you guessed it, Annabelle. Their problems don’t stop there, as in the process, several other foes are released, including a demon and a werewolf. Chaos ensues, but this sixth film in the Conjuring Universe is more fun than frightening. It grossed $231.3 million, which is in the bottom third of the franchise's earners.
The Warrens Head To England For ‘The Conjuring 2’
In the timeline, and if it were canon, this is where you would insert The Curse of La Llorona into the list, but we’re not doing that, so it's on to The Conjuring 2. The original film's director, James Wan, also known for Saw, Dead Silence, Malignant, and Insidious, returned to helm the UK-set sequel. Set in the late 1970s, sees Ed and Lorraine Warren head to a council house in Enfield, North London, where a single mother and her four children are being plagued by what appears to be a poltergeist. However, it turns out that behind it all is a demon called Valak, also known as The Nun, who later gets two movies of her own. The Conjuring 2 also introduces audiences to The Crooked Man, but plans for a film of his own have been scrapped. The Conjuring 2 had a budget of $40 million, twice that of the first film, and grossed $321.8 million worldwide.
‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ Is Last To Screen Before ‘Last Rites’
The final film on the chronological timeline before you head to catch The Conjuring: Last Rites in theaters on Friday, September 5, 2025, is The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Another entry directed by Michael Chaves, the pandemic-delayed 2021 release is the seventh entry in the Conjuring Universe. Wilson and Farmiga reprise their roles as the Warrens with a story based on the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, a real murder trial that took place in 1981 in Connecticut. It’s also inspired by a book written about the trial, called The Devil in Connecticut. It's another installment that received a lukewarm reaction from critics and put audiences off. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It holds the dubious honor of being the lowest-grossing Conjuring movie, with a gross of $206 million against a budget of $39 million. It's not awful, but it has a different pace than previous entries, and after a strong start, it feels more like a mystery with some scares than previous straight-up horror.
Now, if you didn’t want to watch the in chronological order but rather in the order that they were released in theaters , then you'd need to start with The Conjuring before moving on to Annabelle, The Conjuring 2, Annabelle: Creation, The Nun, Annabelle Comes Home, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and The Nun 2 ending with The Conjuring: Last Rites. Even without including The Curse of La Llorona, you'll need to set aside 15 hours and 2 minutes, which is a scary thought.