You know how most horror franchises throw in a few jump scares and call it a day? The Conjuring universe is built differently. It’s all rooted in the real-life case archives of Ed and Lorraine Warren, two real-life paranormal investigators who spent decades breaking into homes that sane people would never enter. Ten films spanning nearly 40 years of haunted history, possessed dolls, demonic nuns, haunted farms and a husband and wife who kept saying yes to every terrifying case that landed on the table. This is where the story really begins.
‘The Well ‘ (2018) set in 1952
A young novice nun and a troubled priest are sent by the Vatican to investigate the death of a nun in a remote monastery in Romania, apparently because that’s what the Vatican does. What they find inside these walls is Valak, an ancient and truly terrifying demonic entity disguised as a nun. This is the origin of the most terrifying villain in the entire franchise, the origin of the creature that will find itself decades later in Warren’s life. Corin Hardy directs this film through 96 minutes of pure darkness and dread.
‘Annabelle: Creation’ (2017) set in 1955
Twelve years after losing their young daughter in a tragic accident, a doll maker and his wife open their home to a group of orphans and a nun who cares for them. What they don’t tell anyone is that they have also invited something else home, a demon that has been waiting patiently inside a handmade doll. That’s where Annabelle’s story really begins, and it’s much more disturbing than what came next.
‘The Nun II’ (2023) set in 1956
Four years after their first harrowing encounter in Romania, Sister Irene is back, and so is Valak. This time, the devil has followed a familiar face to a boarding school in the south of France, and a series of gruesome deaths forces Sister Irene to face them once again. Michael Chaves directs a film that delves significantly into the universe’s mythology, including a revelation that links Irene’s sister Lorraine Warren to himself.
‘Annabelle’ (2014) set in 1967
A man buys a beautiful vintage doll for his pregnant wife, unaware that a satanic cult attack on their home that very night ends with the doll being used in a dark ritual. After that night, nothing is safe in their house. It’s the most straightforward movie in the universe, no layers, just a possessive doll making two people’s lives absolutely miserable. John R. Leonetti directs a film that’s more of a comedy piece than a story, but an effective one nonetheless.
‘The Conjuring’ (2013) set in 1971
A family moves to an isolated farm in Rhode Island and almost immediately realizes that something is wrong with the place. Ed and Lorraine Warren are called in to help, and what they find is one of the most powerful and dangerous cases of their careers. James Wan directed the film that launched the entire universe, and it remains the best. It received several awards in the horror genre and is one of the greatest horror films ever made.
‘Annabelle Comes Home’ (2019) set in 1972
While Ed and Lorraine are away on a case, young daughter Judy stays home with the babysitter, next to the room where they keep every cursed and dangerous artifact the Warrens have ever collected, all locked away for good reason. Annabelle wakes up, the locks open, and suddenly all the evil things in that room are free.
‘The Curse of La Llorona’ (2019) set in 1973
A social worker in Los Angeles becomes embroiled in the legend of La Llorona, the weeping woman of Mexican folklore who drowned her own children and now spends eternity trying to take those of others. When the social worker starts looking after the children, the only person who can help is a priest who has dealt with something like this before. Michael Chaves directs a film tied to the rest of the franchise by a single familiar face, Father Perez from the Annabelle films.
‘The Conjuring 2’ (2016) set in 1977
Ed and Lorraine travel to Enfield, north London, to help a single mother and her four children who are being terrorized by a violent poltergeist in their council. It’s one of the most documented paranormal cases in British history, and James Wan turns it into something spectacular. Valak makes a return that will truly disturb you, and the film also briefly visits the Amityville disaster, tying together the biggest cases in the universe in one extraordinary watch.
‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ (2021) Set in 1981
This starts with an exorcism and only gets stranger from there. A young man murders his landlord and then does something no defense attorney has ever attempted: He claims demonic possession. Ed and Lorraine Warren must prove the existence of evil in a court of law while hunting down a satanic curse that is still very active. Michael Chaves directs a film that trades the haunted house formula for something closer to a supernatural thriller, and it works surprisingly well.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ (2025) Set in 1986
The last chapter Ed and Lorraine Warren take on the haunting Smurl, a family from Pennsylvania whose new home is in what is being called the latest dangerous case. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga close out nearly three decades of the franchise in a film that promises to tie it all back to where it all began. Michael Chaves salutes the universe that terrified an entire generation of moviegoers.
Where to see
The good news is that the entire franchise is very easy to find. Most of the movies, including the Conjuring movies, the Nun movies, the Annabelle trilogy, and La Llorona, are streaming on Amazon Prime Video. A handful of titles including ‘The Nun’, ‘Annabelle Comes Home’ and ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ are also available on Jio Hotstar. So between these two platforms, the entire universe is covered, and the marathon can start whenever you’re ready.
