How to Watch the ‘Conjuring’ Movies in Order
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NEED TO KNOW
- The first Conjuring film tells the story of a family who moves into a haunted home in New England and enlists the help of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren
- The franchise includes several spinoffs and sequels, including Annabelle and The Nun
- The newest movie in the franchise, The Conjuring: Last Rites, hit theaters on Sept. 5
The first film in the Conjuring franchise premiered on July 19, 2013, starring Lili Taylor, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga and Joey King. Centered around a family who moves into a haunted New England home, the movie follows real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Wilson and Farmiga) as they help the family discover the source of the phenomenon, which turns out to be a malicious spirit.
In addition to being inspired by famous personalities in the paranormal community, the film was also loosely based on real events, and strange occurrences even happened during filming. King, who played one of the five daughters in The Conjuring (2013), revealed to Drew Barrymore on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2022 that she “developed this bizarre, rare, out-of-nowhere blood disorder” on set. However, after filming wrapped, she explained, “I got home, and I’ve never had a problem with my blood since.”
With spookiness both on- and off-screen, The Conjuring became a smash hit, grossing more than $320 million at the global box office. Since then, the film has spawned numerous sequels and spinoffs, including Annabelle (2014) and The Nun (2018) — together, they make up the Conjuring universe. On Sept. 8, 2023, The Nun II, hit theaters, with sisters Vera and Taissa Farmiga reprising their roles as Lorraine and Sister Irene, respectively.
A fourth Conjuring movie, The Conjuring: Last Rites, premiered in theaters on Sept. 5, 2025. Wilson and Farmiga reprised their respective roles as the Warrens, joined by series newcomers Ben Hardy (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Mia Tomlinson.
Ready to dive into the bone-chilling world of The Conjuring? Here’s how to watch all 10 films in the franchise in chronological order.
The Nun (2018)
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Despite being released five years after The Conjuring, The Nun is chronologically the earliest film in the series. Set in Romania around 1952, the movie focuses on the demon nun Valak (Bonnie Aarons), who stalks the hallways of a remote monastery. The demon, better known by fans as “The Nun,” first appeared in The Conjuring 2 (2016) as the main antagonist and briefly appeared in Annabelle: Creation (2017).
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
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After appearing at the beginning of the first Conjuring film, the possessed doll Annabelle quickly became a fan favorite, thanks to her terrifying smile and real-life origin story. In 2017, Annabelle received her own prequel, which takes place mostly in 1955, making it the second title chronologically. Annabelle: Creation details how the infamous doll became possessed and follows a group of orphaned girls who accidentally unleash an ancient evil … and are then forced to fight for their lives.
The Nun II (2023)
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Set four years after the first Nun film, The Nun II follows Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) — the sole survivor of the original movie — who now teaches at a boarding school in France. However, Valak finds her again, and Irene must protect her students.
Annabelle (2014)
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Released just one year after the first Conjuring film, Annabelle was a spinoff and prequel of sorts. At the start of The Conjuring, the Warrens are seen giving a presentation about the Annabelle doll (in real life, Annabelle is housed in the Warrens’ paranormal museum). The 2014 film gives an even deeper backstory, showing that in 1967, Annabelle tormented a couple and their newborn daughter. Annabelle became a hit, spawning its own prequel and sequel.
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
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In 1972, the Warrens leave town for another investigation, and they hire a babysitter to look after their daughter, Judy (Mckenna Grace), in their home, where Annabelle is also secured. Not long after, however, Annabelle escapes her confinement and summons other demons. Judy and her babysitter must fight off the evil spirits and try not to get possessed. The film is also the only spinoff where both Wilson and Vera Farmiga have supporting roles.
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
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The Curse of La Llorona is largely unrelated to the other Conjuring movies and is based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona, a vengeful ghost who drowns children. The only connection between the film and the greater Conjuring universe is that it features Father Perez (Tony Amendola), who was also in Annabelle.
The movie begins in 1673 with the legend’s origin and time-jumps to 1973 Los Angeles, where caseworker Anna (Linda Cardellini) becomes entangled in mysterious happenings. Despite being only vaguely part of the Conjuring universe, The Curse of La Llorona performed well in theaters, bringing in more than $123 million worldwide.
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
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The Conjuring 2 was also based on a true story about a family outside of London whose young daughter allegedly became possessed. In real life, the Warrens were called in to investigate the possession, and the duo claimed they witnessed moving furniture and disembodied voices. In the film, set in 1977, it’s revealed the demon Valak is causing the possession, but off-screen, many were skeptical of the events, which became known as the Enfield Poltergeist.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
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The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It takes place in 1981 and centers around the very real trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who murdered his wife’s boss. The previous year, the Warrens had met Johnson while trying to exorcize a demon out of a young boy he knew. Allegedly, during the exorcism, Johnson offered himself to the demon if he left the boy’s body.
Soon afterward, Johnson began acting strange and continued to become worse and worse, culminating in an infamous murder. The case continually sees media attention and has been chronicled in various TV specials and Gerald Brittle’s 1983 book The Devil in Connecticut.
The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
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When The Conjuring: Last Rites takes place in 1986, the Warrens are considering giving up on their careers as paranormal investigators — until another family needs their help and they can’t walk away.
The movie is based on a case involving real-life couple Janet and Jack Smurl, who claimed a demonic presence was hurting their family, even accusing them of sexually assaulting Jack.
The Conjuring: Last Rites began playing in theaters on Sept. 5, 2025.
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