The Conjuring Universe

I frequently encounter this question: “What’s the correct viewing order for the Conjuring Universe?” Of course, it should be in release order. If you really love it after watching, then you can rewatch it in chronological order or read analyses based on that timeline. That’ll multiply your enjoyment. But never mistake chronological order for viewing order. There’s nothing quite like watching the next film and making connections to the previous one, giving that “Ohhhhhhh!” reaction.

The Conjuring Universe (by release date):

1. The Conjuring (2013)
2. Annabelle (2014)
3. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
4. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
5. The Nun (2018)
6. The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
7. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
8. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
9. The Nun II (2023)
10. The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)

The Conjuring (2013)

This James Wan film, regardless of how much we debate the authenticity of the Warren couple, left the biggest mark on modern horror cinema. While tackling the Perron family case, he balanced the atmosphere and jump-scare usage so perfectly that the entire universe was built on solid foundations. The energy he brought to classic haunted house films and the genuine chemistry between Ed and Lorraine instantly made this first entry a masterpiece. In my opinion, it’s one of the best works at conveying that “lived experience” feeling in cinema.

Annabelle (2014)

This was the first solo film for that infamous Raggedy Ann doll from the Warrens’ cursed doll collection. As the series’ first “spin-off” attempt, it tried to tell the story before the Warrens got their hands on it, but it fell short of the depth that The Conjuring created. It ended up being a mediocre ghost film that mostly went hunting for cheap jump scares and felt rushed. But let’s be honest—the doll’s charisma alone carried the entire series.

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

When Wan returned, things got back on track; this time featuring the Enfield Poltergeist case and that famous backwards-bent-legs man story. It didn’t disappoint compared to the first film’s success, and actually expanded the universe by introducing the Valak character (“The Nun”) and that creepy bouncing Crooked Man. With its dramatic structure and focus on family bonds, it didn’t just scare, it created an emotional connection with viewers.

Annabelle: Creation (2017)

The series’ most successful “spin-off” and Annabelle’s origin story; it told how a toymaker’s tragic loss of his daughter transformed into a cursed object. The film both corrected the mistakes from the first Annabelle and succeeded in building tension gradually. Especially the connections in the finale and the visual horror elements brought fresh blood to the universe.

The Nun (2018)

This film, telling the origin of Valak (the demon disguised as a nun), tried to blend the horror genre with a Gothic atmosphere but I think it stumbled a bit. While the monastery atmosphere in Romania was excellent, the scare scenes fell below expectations and they somewhat wasted such a powerful demon like Valak. Still, it was the series’ darkest and most visually ambitious film, so credit where credit’s due.

The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

Even though it gave the Warrens a quick nod (Father Perez), this film was actually a standalone Latin American urban legend film forcibly inserted into the universe. The La Llorona myth was beautiful, but the film completely followed a classic ghost movie formula. It contributed almost nothing to the series’ main storyline and the Warrens, which is why in my eyes it remained just a “distant relative” of the universe.

Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

Here’s the film we’d been waiting for, set in the Warrens’ museum! Watching Ed and Lorraine’s daughter Judy battle against Annabelle and the other cursed artifacts in the museum was incredibly fun. The film, through a younger perspective, basically turned the universe into a horror theme park. It moved away a bit from the series’ generally serious tone and offered a more entertaining, monster-filled horror experience.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

This was an attempt to take the series out of haunted houses and steer it in a new direction by focusing on a murder case. The Arne Johnson case (The Devil Made Me Do It trial) and the “demonic influence” defense that entered legal literature was fascinating. This time, the film shifted from paranormal investigation more toward a forensic mystery and told one of the Warrens’ biggest struggles in this universe.

The Nun II (2023)

Continuing where the first film left off, this one brought Valak (The Nun) back, this time at a boarding school, and ramped up the action. We can say it tried to reclaim the terrifying charisma of that demon from The Conjuring 2. It was visually satisfying and provided some new information about Valak’s origins, thus attempting to fill gaps in the universe’s main storyline.

The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)

It hasn’t been released yet, but from the title we can gather it’ll be the Warren couple’s final and probably biggest case. There are rumors that it’ll be the series finale and the point where the entire universe concludes. I hope it’s a farewell worthy of the first films’ depth, emotion, and that pure horror feeling. We’ll wait and see, my friend.

Looking at all these films, we see that James Wan made a clever move by taking the Warrens’ story and leaving his mark on modern horror cinema, creating a massive universe. Since they themselves had already become a pop culture phenomenon, an unbeatable formula emerged. For those who want to dive deeper into their story and the debates about its authenticity: (See: Ed and Lorraine Warren: Witnesses to Darkness). Now, about the films… Even though this series relies heavily on jump scares, it actually shows how well they fit the horror genre when done right. Because horror sometimes hides in those sudden jump moments, and a well-timed audio-visual burst can multiply the tension. (By the way, for those who want to understand what jump scares are: (See: What Is a Jump Scare?)). The Conjuring Universe, even when it produces weaker films due to commercial concerns, has secured a solid place at the head table of horror cinema with its core story and the iconic figures it created (Annabelle, Valak).