Every James Wan Movie, Ranked
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Exorcisms, possessed puppets, super-powered men who can speak to sea creatures, oh my! These are just some of the bizarre and awesome things that make appearances in James Wan's filmography. The Australian director has kickstarted some of the most well-known horror franchises of modern cinema, shaping new nightmares for a whole generation. His most popular franchises include the demon-chasing adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring, a family fighting off son-possessing ghosts in Insidious, and who can forget Saw, where the iconic mastermind Jigsaw traps unfortunate victims in his gruesome games of survival. That's right, all of those haunting films come from the mind of Wan.
But he's not just versed in frights, Wan often likes to venture beyond that well-worn genre to play around in other franchises as well. He reimagined DC's beloved hero, Aquaman with his penchant for maximalist action scenes and his playful approach to storytellling. Now that the sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has hit theaters, there's no better time to look back on Wan's colorful film history and count down our favorites of his eleven feature films.
Exorcisms, possessed puppets, and ocean-based superheroes, oh my! Welcome to the great James Wan's filmography. The Australian director has kickstarted some of the most well-known horror franchises in modern cinema, shaping new nightmares for an entire generation. His most popular franchises include the demon-chasing adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring, a family fighting off possesive ghosts in Insidious, and Saw, where Jigsaw traps unfortunate victims in his gruesome games of survival? That's right, folks—all of those haunting films come from the mind of Wan.
But he's not just versed in frights. Wan often ventures beyond the well-worn genre to play around in other sandboxes as well. He reimagined DC's beloved hero, Aquaman, with his penchant for maximalist action scenes and playful approach to storytelling. Now that the DC sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, is in theaters, there's no better time to send up Wan's work and rank his 11 feature films.
Death Sentence (2007)
Death Sentence marks a brutal thriller wherein Wan wrestles with heavy themes of loss and revenge. And the film doesn't hold back on the violence, to say the absolute least. Kevin Bacon plays Nick Hume, a family man who is dragged into the dark world of gang violence and retaliation. He tries to protect his family from harm, but winds up getting caught in a forgettable, convoluted plot, with emotional cues that don't quite land.
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
In the Snyder-verse's dying breath, Wan teams up with Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, and Patrick Wilson (again!) to dive back into the world of Atlantis. This time, Arthur and Orm have to save the world from Black Manta... again! Lost Kingdom features more watery shenanigans for our favorite fish-loving superhero, but the gags are more redundant than refreshing. Add an unfortunate level of redundancy to the affair—with James Gunn's DC reign arriving soon—and Hollywood's latest superhero sequel feels like a shipwreck.
In Theaters
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Insidious 2 (2013)
In Wan's Insidious sequel, we catch up with the Lambert family, which is haunted once again by restless spirits. But with a little more experience with astral projection and spirit-wrangling in The Further, the Lamberts become a force to be reckoned with. The film packs some fun scares, but it isn't nearly as inventive as its predecessor. By revisiting the Lambert family and giving them another bump in the night, Insidious 2 wanders into familiar territory a few too many times—and winds up feeling too predictable.
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Aquaman (2018)
Following the train wreck that was 2017's Justice League, Wan bravely stepped forward to helm the solo outing for Jason Momoa's Aquaman. Wan's Aquaman is silly and fun, straying from the then-typical self-seriousness of superhero origin movies—while still keeping plenty of punchy action scenes and dramatic special effects. Momoa shines as Aquaman, a role he seemed born to play on the big screen. That said, Aquaman is still as forgettable as most DC films from the 2010s—a joyous two-and-a-half hours, sure, but without the cultural impact of its peers, such as Wonder Woman and Black Panther.
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Furious 7 (2015)
In 2015, Wan took on another heavy responsibility: leading the seventh installation of the beloved Fast and Furious franchise, Furious 7. He not only helmed a franchise with a loyal fanbase, but he also made the film a fitting tribute to the late Paul Walker. In Furious 7, Wan flashes his keen eye for stellar action shots, making the film one of the top-rated sequels of the entire series. With cars launching out of a plane and buses tumbling over the edge of cliffs, Furious 7 has some of the franchise's most thrilling stunts. The film isn't Wan's best franchise effort—but it's still jam-packed with fun.
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The Conjuring 2 (2016)
In 2016, Wan returned to the terrifying Conjuring world, following Ed and Lorraine Warren as they continue their fight against supernatural evil. This time, the paranormal investigators travel to London to help a family that's being tortured by a ghostly presence in their home. All the while, Lorraine combats horrible visions she has of her husband being killed by an unspeakable entity. In The Conjuring 2, Wan shows off his ability to flat-out scare the pants off the audience. Although it's not as haunting as the first film in the franchise, The Conjuring 2 is still a worthy sequel.
Dead Silence (2016)
Dead Silence followed up Wan's breakout film, Saw, and many cinephiles were disappointed at the time. However, Dead Silence is an underrated masterpiece from best buddies-turned-writing-partners, Wan and Leigh Whannell. The story follows Jamie Ashen, whose wife is horribly murdered after they receive a mysterious package with a vintage ventriloquist dummy inside. The search for the murderer brings Ashen back to his hometown of Raven's Fair, where scares, secrets and lies are aplenty. With lots of nightmare-inducing visuals (for all us creepy-doll-haters!) and campy plot twists (that might make some viewers cringe) that only Wan could pull off, Dead Silence is a bizarre horror classic.
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Insidious (2010)
Insidious, another Wan and Whannell-written team up, takes the director back to his horror roots. The film centers on the Lambert family, whose son falls into a coma. But not just any regular coma—a ghostly one. Wan puts his finger on the pulse of the 2010s horror renaissance with this tense tale of family drama and evil entities. The director knows there's nothing creepier than a haunted kid! Astral projection, seances, and spiritual planes all come into play in Insidious—but it it never feels too heady or overwhelming, thanks to Wan's skilled direction.
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The Conjuring (2013)
Ask anyone what the scariest movie in the last 10 years is—and the answer is probably The Conjuring. Wan's quiet, unassuming horror film ushered in a new wave of horror that's still going strong today. Wan's use of soundscapes and carefully framed jump-scares would give Michael Myers the shivers. This film was so masterfully told that it launched multiple sequels and spinoffs, including The Nun and Annabelle. There's no shortage of nightmare fuel in The Conjuring—and there's an exorcism scene that is up there with the one in The Exorcist. Wan firmly planted himself as a horror master with this feature, and it deserves a near the top of his filmography.
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Malignant (2021)
After years of sequels and franchise films, Wan returned to his horror roots with the original story, Malignant. Inspired by Giallo films and classic slashers, Wan crafted a shocking and hyper-stylistic new horror film. Malignant unravels the mystery behind a young woman's nightly visions of horrible killings in her town. Malignant has everything a scary-movie fan could ever want, including a frightening monster made with (mostly) practical effects that'll haunt your dreams. Plus, Malignant features some stunning kills, as well as a story that'll keep even the smartest sleuth guessing throughout the film. Malignant proves that Wan still has quite a few tricks up his sleeve, and that he's a unique voice in horror—and not just a franchise machine.
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Saw (2004)
Wan's directorial debut was an instant classic amongst horror fans. Why, you ask? Wan and his film-school pal, Whannell, hit gold when they created Saw. What originally begins as a locked-room whodunit turns into a grisly survival tale that twisted viewers' stomachs and minds. Wan's creative use of cutscenes and montages became the hallmarks of the Saw franchise, which is still going strong today. Saw carved its way into the pop culture lexicon with Jigsaw and Billy the Puppet, as well as its high-octane gore. (Hello, disgusting Saw bathroom, we'll meet again!) Wan made a name for himself in the horror genre with Saw, kickstarted over a decade's worth of torture-porn films, and began his legacy of scaring the crap out of audiences.
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