1 day ago
1
This weekend, The Conjuring universe is coming to an end with The Conjuring: Last Rites.
Since the original movie was released in 2013, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have headlined this horror franchise based on the lives of paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren.
That film led to one of the most successful horror franchises of all time, so we’d be shocked if this is really the end for the Warrens on the big screen.
Nevertheless, the Watch With Us team has taken the time to rank The Conjuring movies from worst to best, including the spinoffs.
9. ‘Annabelle’ (2014)
The first spinoff from The Conjuring was Annabelle, a film that commits the cardinal sins of horror: It’s neither scary nor interesting. Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton star as Mia and John Form, a married couple who encounter Annabelle Higgins (Tree O’Toole), a murderous cult member who kills herself in their home rather than let herself be captured by the police.
Somehow, Annabelle’s blood causes an antique doll to take on her spirit, but she’s far from satisfied. Annabelle wants Mia’s soul, and she’s willing to threaten her infant daughter, Leah, to get it.
Annabelle is streaming on HBO Max.
8. ‘The Nun’ (2018)
The Nun continued the trend of Conjuring spinoffs that simply aren’t as good as the films that spawned them. It’s better than Annabelle, and the acting is certainly a step up. It just lacks a consistent story or actual scares. Having said that, the visual of The Nun (Bonnie Aarons) is still very striking.
In 1952, the Vatican sends Father Burke (Demián Bichir) and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) to investigate a nun’s death. That leads them to the demon masquerading as a nun. Although Burke and Irene have their faith, they may not have the power to exorcise this demonic creature.
The Nun is streaming on HBO Max.
7. ‘The Nun II’ (2023)
The Nun II was an improvement over its predecessor thanks to its better execution and scarier tone. Farmiga reprised her role as Sister Irene in a story that takes place years after the first film.
When the demonic nun returns, Irene and a novice, Sister Debra (Storm Reid), undertake a new investigation into the creature and what it really wants. Irene is also given a vision of her friend from the first film, Maurice (Jonas Bloquet), which teases his unwilling connection to the nun.
The Nun II is streaming on HBO Max.
6. ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ (2021)
Note to the wise: Never invite a demon into your body under any circumstances. Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor) makes that mistake with the best of intentions in the opening scene of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. To save a young boy from demonic possession, Arne offered himself up instead. That entire sequence is the highlight of the movie.
Once the demon is in the driver’s seat of Arne’s body, it uses him to murder innocent people. His only defense is that the devil made him do it, and the Warrens can attest to that. Especially since Ed (Wilson) is cursed and forced to attack his beloved wife, Lorraine (Farmiga) as they attempt to clear Arne’s name.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is streaming on HBO Max.
5. ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ (2025)
The Conjuring: Last Rites could have also been called The Conjuring: Greatest Hits, as Annabelle appears yet again, even though the actual threat this time comes from a cursed mirror and a home. This may be the last movie to feature Wilson and Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, but the film does reintroduce audiences to their daughter, Judy Warren (Mia Tomlinson), who is now a young woman after her previous appearance in the third Annabelle film.
As her wedding date nears, Judy’s emerging psychic ability leads her to the Smurls, a family threatened by the demonic possession of their home. This case is far bigger than Judy can handle on her own, and she’ll need her parents’ help to close the door on this threat.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is now playing in theaters.
4. ‘Annabelle Comes Home’ (2019)
Mckenna Grace played a younger version of Judy Warren in Annabelle Comes Home. Farmiga and Wilson do appear in the movie as Lorraine and Ed Warren, but their daughter takes the spotlight here. Things take a turn for the spooky when one of Judy’s friends, Daniela Rios (Katie Sarife), accidentally frees Annabelle from her container.
In turn, Annabelle frees other spirits from the Warrens’ past, which puts Judy and her babysitter, Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman), in a difficult position. They have to stop Annabelle and her demonic friends by themselves, because the Warrens aren’t there to do it for them.
Annabelle Comes Home is streaming on HBO Max.
3. ‘Annabelle: Creation’ (2017)
Shockingly, Annabelle: Creation is one of the scariest flicks in the entire Conjuring franchise. This prequel film reveals that the Annabelle doll from the previous film wasn’t necessarily who or what we thought. The real Annabelle Mullins (Samara Lee) dies early in this story, and something malevolent uses her likeness afterwards.
An orphaned girl named Janice (Talitha Bateman) becomes Annabelle’s new target, as the demon is determined to inhabit a human body. And if Janice won’t be its host, then it will just claim some other girl.
Annabelle: Creation is streaming on HBO Max.
2. ‘The Conjuring 2’ (2016)
The franchise was still in top form when The Conjuring 2 introduced the demonic nun who went on to get two movies of her own. This film also touches upon the famous Amityville murders as well as the Enfield poltergeist. However, Lorraine is more worried about her vision of Ed’s impending death by impalement.
A young girl in England named Janet Hodgson (Madison Wolfe) is manipulated by the Nun, who doesn’t want the Warrens to interfere with her plans. But as the Warrens search for the Nun’s true agenda, Ed gets closer to the predicted hour of his death.
The Conjuring 2 is streaming on HBO Max.
1. ‘The Conjuring’ (2013)
Thank You!
You have successfully subscribed.
In most horror movie franchises, the first film is almost always the best one. The Conjuring introduced the Warrens by sending them up against Annabelle. Then it gave them an even scarier menace in the form of a long-dead witch who haunts the Perron family in Rhode Island.
This spirit has the Perrons so tightly in its grasp that not even running away from their home would save them. It also wants the Warrens to back off, and it targets their young daughter, Judy, to get its warning across. There’s far more suspense in this film than any of the others in part because audiences didn’t know it was about to become a billion-dollar franchise.
The Conjuring is streaming on HBO Max.
Led by Senior Editor and experienced critic Jason Struss, Watch With Us’ team of writers and editors sees almost every movie and TV show from the distant past to the present to determine what’s worth your time and money. Our countless hours of multimedia consumption — combined with years of experience in the entertainment industry — help us determine the best movies and TV shows you should be streaming right now. To be considered “the best,” these films and series can be visually engaging, intellectually stimulating or simply just fun to watch, but the one trait they must have is that they are all, in some way, entertaining. We then check which platform they are streaming on and how you can access them as a subscriber. No algorithm nonsense or paid endorsements here — our recommendations are based purely on our love and interest for the films and shows we love.
English (US) ·