Who doesn’t love a good horror flick? Not to mention, if it’s based on true events, it’s even better and a lot more terrifying! Every fan of the horror genre knows about The Conjuring film franchise and how it’s based on the cases of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Since the release of the first film – The Conjuring – in 2023, the horror franchise has expanded into several sequels, prequels and spin-offs, all of which share the same cinematic universe. All of these films also feature demonic spirits, their origins and the vessels they try to possess. Case in point, the demonic doll better known as Annabelle.
On September 8th, the greatest evil in the conjuring universe returns #TheNun2. pic.twitter.com/1lJJrijy5s
— The Nun (@thenunmovie) July 6, 2023
Created by James Wan with a collaboration between New Line Cinema, the Safran Company and Atomic Monster, the Conjuring films tend to focus on helping families dealing with demons or demonic possessions while the spin-off films deep-dive into the backstories of some of the demons encountered in the original films.
One of those spin-off films is the upcoming The Nun 2 which, as its name suggests, will serve as a sequel to The Nun. Set in France in 1956, four years after the events of the first film, the upcoming film will see Sister Irene, once again, finding herself coming face to face with the demon nun Valak after the murder of a priest. It has also been reported that The Conjuring 4 is in the works, however its plot is still under wraps. In the meantime, you can look forward to The Nun 2 which will be hitting theatres on September 8, 2023. Or better yet, why not go on a binge-watching spree of all The Conjuring movies in order of chronology? Not only will doing so make for a horror fiesta but it’ll also get you up to speed with the timeline of The Conjuring universe.
Now if you’re sold on the idea of binge-watching all of these movies, the first question you’d probably ask yourself is…
How many ‘The Conjuring’ movies Are there?
The Conjuring franchise comprises a total of nine movies. These include three The Conjuring films, three Annabelle movies, two The Nun movies (including the upcoming sequel) and The Curse of La Llorona.
Here are all of the films arranged in order of release date
- The Conjuring (2013)
- Annabelle (2014)
- The Conjuring 2 (2016)
- Annabelle: Creation (2017)
- The Nun (2018)
- The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
- Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
- The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
- The Nun 2 (2023) (To be released)
Now, without further ado, here are all of The Conjuring movies in order of chronology
A comprehensive guide to watching ‘The Conjuring’ movies in order of chronology
The Nun (2018)
The Nun is the first film in the chronological timeline of the Conjuring universe, taking place in the year 1952. Released in 2018, the plot follows a priest and a novitiate who are sent by the Vatican to investigate the suicide of a nun in Romania. As they dive deep into the investigation, they come face to face with a sinister presence, the demon Valak. This film serves as both a spin-off and a prequel to the 2016 movie The Conjuring 2.
IMDb rating: 5.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 25 %
The Nun 2 (2018)
While The Nun 2 is yet to release, we can make a safe assumption about its place in the Conjuring timeline. Since it’s set four years after the events of its prequel, it will fall right between The Nun and Annabelle: Creation in the timeline. While not much is known about the plot of this film, we do know that Sister Irene will, once again, be at the centre of another paranormal activity.
IMDb rating: TBD
Rotten Tomatoes: TBD
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Released in 2017, Annabelle: Creation is the second film in the chronological timeline of The Conjuring franchise and tells the backstory of the haunted Annabelle doll we get to see in future instalments.
The film centres around a group of orphaned girls and Sister Charlotte who move into the home of a former doll maker and his wife, 12 years after their daughter’s tragic death. One of the girls, Janice, becomes bedridden and starts experiencing disturbing encounters with a possessed doll (no points for guessing who that is). As the evilness intensifies, terror takes over the girls and Sister Charlotte’s lives after they uncover the doll maker’s past and his connection to a demon that seeks to possess a human host.
IMDb rating: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 70 %
Annabelle (2014)
The first Annabelle film is the third film on the list if you are watching The Conjuring movies in order of chronology.
The plot of this film revolves around a young couple, Mia and John, who experience a horrifying encounter with cultists at their home. The brutal attack leaves Mia traumatised but things only get more terrifying after the attacker, their next-door neighbour’s adopted daughter (Janice from Annabelle: Creation), spills her blood onto their antique doll (Annabelle). As strange events start unfolding around their house, the couple comes to the terrifying realisation that Annabelle is a vessel for an evil force that wants to take Mia’s soul. Desperate to protect their lives and newborn child, they seek help from experts with profound knowledge of the supernatural.
IMDb rating: 5.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 28 %
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The Conjuring (2013)
The film that started it all, 2013’s The Conjuring is hailed as being one of the best horror films of all time. Based on real events, the film introduces us to the iconic paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The two are called to help out the Perron family who are experiencing some disturbing events in their secluded new house. As the supernatural incidents escalate, the Warrens discover a dark history surrounding the property and a demonic presence that is targetting the family, tormenting them with terrifying visions and physical attacks. Revealing the entity’s origins, the Warrens confront their own fears and offer their expertise in the occult to rid the household of the evil forces.
IMDb rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 86 %
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Next in the timeline is Annabelle Comes Home. Released in 2019, the film focuses on paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren‘s daughter Judy. When the Warrens travel abroad to investigate another haunting, Judy becomes a target of Annabelle, the haunted doll in Warren’s possession and stored in their occult artefact room.
When a friend of Judy’s babysitter accidentally releases the doll’s malicious spirit, everyone in Warren’s house becomes a target. As supernatural occurrences begin to take over the house, Judy, along with her babysitter Mary Ellen and her friend Daniela, must confront an array of ghoul entities unleashed from the artefact room. Battling haunted artefacts, they seek to contain Annabelle and protect themselves from the growing threats. In a terrifying encounter, the girls struggle to survive the night and prevent the demonic forces from claiming their souls.
IMDb rating: 5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 64 %
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
Another film set in The Conjuring horror franchise, The Curse of La Llorona is, as its name suggests, based on the Latin American folklore of La Llorona.
Set in 1973, the movie centres around Anna, a mother living in Los Angeles who is compelled to protect her two children from a ghost aka La Llorona. As the haunting intensifies, she seeks the help of a priest, Father Perez, who has experience with the supernatural. Together, they confront the wrathful ghost and attempt to protect Anna’s children from the malevolent forces.
IMDb rating: 5.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 28 %
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Based on real events and released in 2016, The Conjuring 2 sees paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to Enfield, London to assist single mother Peggy Hodgson and her children who are being haunted by spirits in their home. The hauntings particularly centre around Janet, the youngest daughter, who has become the primary target of an elderly man’s spirit. As the Warrens learn more about the haunting, they themselves become the evil spirit’s next targets. Amidst a race against time, they must confront the dark forces and protect the Hodgson family from relentless torment.
IMDb rating: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 80 %
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
The latest release from the franchise, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It sees the Warrens, Ed and Lorraine, being drawn into a case involving the possession of a young boy, David Glatzel. After a terrifying exorcism, Arne Johnson, David’s sister’s boyfriend, becomes the new target of demonic forces. When Arne commits a gruesome murder while claiming possession as his defence, the Warrens set out to prove the existence of evil spirits in court. As they discover the entity’s sinful origins, they are stuck with increasingly dangerous supernatural occurrences and, once again, risk their lives to protect innocent souls from the evil spirit.
IMDb rating: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 55 %
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(Hero and feature image credit: Courtesy IMDb/The Conjuring and Annabelle)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: Start with The Nun followed by The Nun 2, Annabelle: Creation, Annabelle, The Conjuring, Annabelle Comes Home, The Curse Of La Llorona, The Conjuring 2 and finally, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
Answer: Yes, The Nun 2 is part of the Conjuring universe.
Answer: If you are going by order of release, then the first film to watch is The Conjuring. If you are going by order of chronology, then the first film to watch is The Nun.
Answer: In an interview, creator James Wan had revealed that The Conjuring 4 may be the final Conjuring movie. However, this is yet to be confirmed.
