With the recent release of The Conjuring: Last Rites, and the supposed end of the franchise, we thought it was time to look back on the series and figure out how they stack up against each other. Because what started as a movie about the exploits and Ed and Lorraine Warren has spiraled into multiple spinoffs, and become it’s own universe…or Conjuring-verse if you will. Now, we won’t be including The Curse of La Llorona, as the producers have said it’s not part of that universe (even though it was originally intended as such). But everything else is fair game!
Let’s get into the Conjuring-verse!
The Nun 2 (2023)
It’s crazy that the concept for The Nun went past one film but I suppose when you make $366 Million worldwide, that sort of thing is bound to happen. Sadly, the character just doesn’t have much momentum, especially given that we know that the entity has to wind up in England to set up for the events of The Conjuring 2. This is my least rewatched film in the franchise, and one that I don’t often feel the need to go back and revisit.
The Nun (2018)
This one gets slightly better placement with its sequel, mostly because of its gothic setting, which kind of reminds me of a Hammer Horror film. It’s got plenty of creepy visuals but doesn’t really present Valak in the same light as they do in Conjuring 2, and they definitely use a bit too much CGI. Still, I like the connections with the other films and how they’re able to go a bit further into the past than what we’ve gotten in the rest of the series. The buried alive sequence is genuinely unsettling.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
Easily my least favorite of the mainline Conjuring films, The Devil Made Me Do It is James Wan’s first departure from the series, and it can be felt pretty strongly. Mostly reliant on jump scares and an overly loud sound design, I really wasn’t a fan of how they give us a human being as the villain. This series is at its best when it’s got demons possessing people and giving Lorraine weird visions. There’s less style and less tension, and it feels a lot sloppier than the other Conjuring films.
Annabelle (2014)
I fully acknowledge that I like this movie more than most. It feels like a throwback to Rosemary’s Baby and manages to have some genuinely creepy moments with the doll. Speaking of the doll, they do a great job with just allowing the doll to have small creepy moments, with subtle shifts of her head or eyes and placed in a different area. Is the epitome of “less is more.” I will also always love a cult element, and I think the films that follow just make this one feel stronger, making sense of some moments that are a little more abstract. And you can’t go wrong with Annabelle Wallis, who gives a great performance and really anchors the film.
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
This practically could be considered the third entry in the main Conjuring series, as Farmiga and Wilson get plenty of screen time. There’s more focus on their daughter and her babysitters, but they’re still in the movie a helluva lot. Because of that, it’s a fairly solid entry, even if this is when the Conjuring-verse started to feel a little bit like the MCU with its presentation. But putting the focus on the Warren’s room of antiquities is ripe for so many different villains and, despite its reliance on CGI, provides some great moments.
The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
Plays out more like a Greatest Hits of the Conjuring-verse (be sure to check out my review HERE) Last Rites is a fitting conclusion to the Warrens. Even if, with the mention of their nearly thousand cases, it does remind us that there are just so many stories left untold. This gives us the familiar story of a family being haunted by an entity (actually three) and makes things a bit more personal for the Warrens. We also get more involvement from their daughter Judy, who seems primed to take over the series if the studio wants to go that route. Which, given how much money the film made, wouldn’t surprise me.
The Conjuring (2013)
James Wan introduces us to his throwback to 70s cinema, with some great performances and scares that they would try to replicate over and over again. It’s Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson’s chemistry that really helped this film stand out, and why audiences keep coming back for more. But the family is also fantastic, with Joey King being a standout, making the ghosts feel even more haunting. Wan’s command of the camera and more practical approach would be greatly missed further into the series.
Annabelle Creation (2017)
It’s kind of amazing how the sequel to Annabelle ended up being one of the best modern possession films out there. David F Sandberg provides many chilling moments and is able to expand upon the legend of the Annabelle doll is a very satisfying way. Lulu Wilson cemented herself as someone to look out for in the acting world, and for those who didn’t like the first one, the movie does a good job of fixing those issues. I actually had a lot of trouble picking between this and the next pick for the number one spot.
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The Warrens travel across the pond, and we’re introduced to two of the best villains in the entire series: The Nun AKA Valak, and The Crooked Man. Each has absolutely fantastic designs and, while The Nun character doesn’t quite work the same in her own films, her presence here is genuinely unsettling. Plus, the Christmas setting adds a nice contrast to the horror that’s going on around it. And I love the family dynamic, with Frances O’Connor acting her ass off.
What’s your ranking for the Conjuring-verse? Let’s see your lists in the comments below!
