How To Watch 'The Conjuring' Movies in Chronological Order
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When I first saw The Conjuring, I brought my dad along for the ride. He raised me on '90s horror movies—Scream, Candy Man, Halloween, and Nightmare on Elm Street come to mind—so I thought he might like it. Halfway through the film, my father turned to me, bright-eyed in a pitch-black theater, and said, “This might be too much.”
As it turns out, a movie about sinister paranormal activity was not his idea of fun. Fair enough! Needless to say, that was his first—and most definitely last—time watching The Conjuring. I, on the other hand, have stuck around to see the series unfold. Over the past 10 years, The Conjuring—which follows the adventures of ghost hunters, Ed and Lorraine Warren—has evolved into a full-blown franchise, full of prequels, sequels, spinoffs, nuns, and dolls.
If you’re ready to dive into The Conjuring and all of its just-as-spooky spinoffs, we’ve created a guide below. Here’s how to watch The Conjuring movies in order.
The Nun (2018)
I know you’re eager to watch The Conjuring, but if you want to fully understand the story, you’ll have to start with its prequel. The Nun is set in 1950s Romania, long before the events of The Conjuring unfold. It follows a young nun (Taissa Farmiga), who works with a priest to uncover the meaning of her terrifying visions.
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Annabelle: Creation is set three years after The Nun. In this film, we journey to California. During the film, we meet a creepy dollmaker, who creates (you guessed it!) Annabelle. While working on the doll, he allows unhoused orphans, and a nun, to live in his home. Their relaxing stay becomes a nightmare, though, when an an evil spirit possesses Annabelle.
Annabelle (2014)
Fast-forward twelve years, and this winding tale brings us to Annabelle. This time, the year is 1967—and we're in Southern California. After Annabelle is presumably de-haunted (is that how it works?), the doll is taken by a young married couple. They place it in their newborn daughter’s nurser—and quickly discover, yeah, that it’s more than just a porcelain toy.
The Conjuring (2013)
Congratulations, you’ve made it to The Conjuring! That was quite the ride. Now that you’re here, let me catch you up to speed. The Conjuring takes place in 1971—and claims to be based on a true story. It follows Ed and Lorraine Warren, who are hired to investigate a family's haunted house in Rhode Island.
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Annabelle is back, and somehow scarier than ever. In Annabelle Comes Home, we meet Ed and Lorraine’s daughter, Judy, who has paranormal visions—just like her mother. Judy is forced to save her family when Annabelle, who’s been stowed away in their home, breaks free.
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
The Curse of La Llorona strays the furthest from The Conjuring, but it’s still connected to Annabelle. The film is based on a Latin American folktale, which is about an evil spirit who haunts kids after being separated from her own. In The Curse of La Llorona, the fabled ghost haunts a young mother and her children. They ask Father Perez, who worked on the Annabelle case, to save them.
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The Conjuring 2 reunites us with Ed and Lorraine, who have been summoned to England. When the couple arrives, they meet a single mother who claims an evil spirit is disrupting her home. Soon after, her daughter is possessed—and Ed and Lorraine stick around to revive the child. Unfortunately, their heroic efforts put them in immense danger.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
OK, remember what I said about immense danger? Well, prepare to watch that unfold yet again. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is inspired by the real-life case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson. He murdered his landlord, then told the police he was possessed. In the film, Arne’s actions spark a turbulent court case that interests Ed and Lorraine. As they learn more about his testimony, the couple realizes he’s been possessed... by a demon they just exorcised out of another person’s body. One day, maybe Ed and Lorraine will learn to retire. Until then, this is simply their latest adventure.
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