With The Nun II debuting in theaters in September, new and old fans alike were invited to jump back into the gritty and grim atmosphere dominating the Conjuring universe. As Halloween rapidly approaches, there’s no spooky franchise more binge-worthy than that of the Conjuring.
However, diving into the Conjuringverse is daunting, with nine movies currently out and a 10th on the way. A Google search regarding the best way to watch will pull up dozens of articles arguing whether to binge by release date or chronological order in the timeline.
The correct opinion, an option many fail to consider, is the one that lets you have your cake and eat it too, watching by series release and in chronological order.
Starting off: The Conjuring
So far, three movies make up The Conjuring series within the franchise, plus a fourth one in production. The chronological order happens also to be their release order: The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016), and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021). These films are what the franchise is known for, following some of the most infamous cases of real-life “demonologists” Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by the phenomenal Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively.
As far as horror movies go, the three Conjuring films rely on a slow-building sense of dread as they each follow a family plagued by the demonic and otherworldly. By the time the Warrens get called into the fray, things are well out of hand, and scares ensue in a desperate race to save the family from the demon afflicting them.
Overall, the Conjuring movies have a strong familial theme and end happily with nearly all loose ends tied up, something casual horror fans or those more interested in an entertaining story can appreciate. While there are some pretty freaky jump scares, a keen viewer can usually tell when one is coming, and they’re often included for good reason rather than pure shock value. These three offer a gentle introduction to a well-intertwined franchise, preparing viewers for what’s to come and broadening them to the broader lore of the Warrens and Conjuringverse.
Moving on: Annabelle
The next three movies I recommend you dive into are those of the Annabelle series. This is where we depart from the order of release and start slotting into the franchise timeline, starting with Annabelle: Creation (2017), then Annabelle (2014), and finishing off with Annabelle Comes Home (2019). These films are inspired by the real-life Annabelle doll the Warrens dealt with in their demonology days, but are mainly shrouded in fiction. Unlike their starring roles within the three Conjuring films, we don’t see Ed and Lorraine as much in these movies.
Through the movies, it’s revealed the Annabelle doll is a conduit for demonic spirits— meaning things get weird when she’s out and about. Fun fact: despite Annabelle often appearing in one place or another, the audience never witnesses her move on screen, adding to the creepiness surrounding her otherworldly influences.
The Annabelle films are arguably scarier than those of The Conjuring, her piercing stare and uncanny smile sending shivers down even seasoned horror fans’ spines. These movies are dimly lit and lean heavily into the ambiance present when something evil invades a seemingly regular home. However, things are never as they appear on the surface. Watching the Annabelle series after The Conjuring gives viewers a background to the general plot outline the movies follow and an understanding of the wider universe, making the lore in Annabelle easier to take in.
Wrapping up: The Nun
The two Nun movies, aptly named The Nun (2018) and The Nun II (2023), should be a last watch. The prevailing villain, the demonic entity called Valak, will be familiar to viewers watching in order of this guide. He’s popped up a few times throughout the previous movies, and fans consider him the overarching antagonist in the Conjuringverse.
The Nun movie stars Taissa Farminga (the sister of Vera Farminga, our beloved Lorraine) as Sister Irene. At the same time, she investigates the mysterious deaths of several nuns at the hands of the vengeful demon Valak. Equipped with the context of the previous six movies, the dark and unpleasant atmosphere in the Nun movies is easily some of the scariest in the franchise and a great way to finish a binge.
But Where’d the 9th one go?
So far, the only stand-alone movie in the Conjuringverse is The Curse of La Llorona (2019). This movie is set apart from the others due to its complete detachment from the Warrens. The only tie-in to the broader franchise is a brief flashback of a minor character, Father Perez, holding the Annabelle doll.
Instead, this movie features the Latin American folklore of La Llorona, the Weeping Woman. The film follows recently widowed case worker Anna Tate-Garcia, played by Linda Cardellini, as her two children become the latest target of the vengeful spirit of La Llorona.
While the movie follows the same general plot outline present in the other Conjuringverse movies of possession, spooky rising action as the spirit grows stronger, and the inevitable attempted exorcism as things grow dire, The Curse of La Llorona is a refreshing, singular addition to the delicately interwoven threads of the greater Conjuring universe. I recommend watching this one when you find yourself Warren-ed out (if such a thing is possible).
With the total runtime of the nine movies coming out to a breezy 16 hours, and most of them streaming on Max, it’s time to grab some friends and prepare for the ultimate Conjuringverse Halloween movie night binge!