The Conjuring Universe Ranked Worst to Best:
The Conjuring Universe, helmed by James Wan and Peter Safran, has captivated audiences (and this author) for a decade with its spine-tingling tales rooted in the investigations of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. There are three main storylines in the Conjuring universe. The primary storyline follows Ed and Lorraine Warren in their famed investigations–these movies are The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016), and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021).
Ed and Lorraine Warren – By Sydney Morning Herald – Original publication: Sydney Morning Herald talking about the legacy of the Warren published two months after Lorraine’s death Immediate source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/strange-afterlife-conjuring-couple-ed-elaine-warren/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67863995
One of the spinoff series follows the infamous Annabelle doll as it made its way to the Warren’s Occult Museum, where it remains in a locked case that is blessed regularly.
The other spinoff series follows the demonic nun who winds her way across Europe and makes cameos in The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2. The main two films in this spinoff series are The Nun and The Nun 2.
The Nun (2018) (Source: Warner Bros.)
Ever since watching The Conjuring (2013), I’ve been obsessed with this whole universe, going to midnight releases and learning everything I can about the lore. In this post I’ll be providing my own ranking of all of the films in the Conjuring Universe and why.
9. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
(Source: Warner Bros.)
The most recent film in the The Conjuring series, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) tells the story of the Warrens as they intervened in the murder trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson. In real life, Arne Cheyenne Johnson assisted the Warrens in the exorcism of his girlfriend’s 12 year old brother David Glatzel. Several months later, he murdered his landlord, Alan Bono. At the murder trial, Johnson’s defense attorney argued that he was innocent because he was possessed at the time of the murder.
Let me just clear something up right off the bat. This is not at all a bad movie, and I was entertained! I would happily watch it again! All that being said, it was not very compelling. There, I said it. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson consistently deliver as the Warrens, telling the story of two people who are very much devoted to one another and support what each one brings to the table. Their relationship is truly one of my favorite parts of the series. There were some great scares too, including a particularly hair raising opening sequence. Where it fell down is in the overall tightness of the script and plot. Without the central focal point of the haunted house, I felt like I was being pulled in one too many directions. That’s why this is my least favorite in the Conjuring universe.
8. Annabelle (2014)
Another hot take–I know…but stick with me here. This is another really fun movie, and in fairness I think it does suffer a bit from being sandwiched in between The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016), two of the best movies in the franchise. The scares don’t feel quite as compelling, particularly when compared with those from The Conjuring. It also doesn’t include the Warrens and their excellent chemistry that make the Conjuring movies so enduringly rewatchable. The primary couple in this movie, Mia and John Form played by Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton respectively, simply do not have the same level of chemistry. instead, Evelyn played by Alfre Woodard and Father Perez played by Tony Amendola carry the emotional weight of the film. Their characters, while not fully fleshed out, have more depth and more complicated identities than either of the Forms. All of this makes it hard to get really emotionally invested in Mia and her efforts to protect her baby. Leah, from the efforts of the gleefully frightening Annabelle doll. The doll in the film, made much more terrifying than the real, rather unassuming Raggedy Ann doll that inspired the film, serves up a host of scares and will have you watching between your fingers. Most importantly, this first Annabelle film sets up the spinoff series for greater stories and more box office success.
7. The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
I have a soft spot in my heart for The Curse of La Llorona. I love the Mexican folk tale of the crying indigenous woman who in an act of vengeance drowned her children when her Spaniard husband abandoned her. The legend is that she spends time near bodies of water seeking additional souls to take in the hopes of bringing her children back. This story has deep roots that go back to at least the early days of the Spanish colonization of what is now Mexico and the complex dynamic between the local indigenous people and the Spanish conquistadors. The origins of this story might even predate the arrival of the Spanish in the Americas. I highly recommend learning more about the folklore behind this legend because it is absolutely fascinating.
Let’s start out with all of the things that I love about this film. Linda Cardellini as Anna, the mother of two children that become targeted by La Llorona, always delivers. We have the reappearance of Father Perez from Annabelle! Raymond Cruz absolutely kills it as the slightly dirtbag former priest Rafael Olvera who combines Catholic and folk practices in an effort to protect Anna and her two children from La Llorona. I also can’t leave out Marisol Ramirez who stars as La Llorona herself and delivers many frightening and also poignant moments.
Where the film suffers a bit is in the slightly convoluted storyline which takes longer than I prefer to get to the scary moments. The film also tends to rely more on the cheap (but still fun!) jump scares rather than the slow atmospheric build that you get in The Conjuring. Despite those drawbacks, this is a movie that I go back to again and again because Linda Cardellini, dirtbag former priests, and a wailing woman are always winners for me.
6. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
I hope this will be my last hot take (just kidding, wait until you see where I put The Nun and The Nun 2). This movie works for me much more than the premise led me to think it would. Follow me here–the premise of this movie is that Ed and Lorraine Warren leave their daughter Judy (played by McKenna Grace) with their kind but fearful babysitter Mary Ellen (played by Madison Iseman). Mary Ellen’s slightly troublemaking friend Daniela (Katie Sarife) comes over to explore and antics with ghosts and demons ensue. I definitely had my doubts about this film from the premise, but “In Wan We Trust,” so I watched it, and I sincerely enjoyed it!
Judy, who we’ve seen briefly in the The Conjuring films, gets a much deeper character exploration in this film. We learn that she shares her mother’s gift for seeing paranormal beings, and we see how her peers at school view her (a loner oddball), her parents (kooks!), and the infamous Museum of the Occult (weird and scary!) in the Warren’s house. There is also so much chemistry and heart between the four main characters in this movie. Mary Ellen’s crush, the awkward and lovable Bob “Bob’s Got Balls” Palmeri (Michael Cimino), has many cute moments with both Judy and Mary Ellen. Daniela also gets a solid background that makes you understand why she is so curious about the Warren’s and their Occult Museum. The movie is honestly just plain cute and heartwarming. I also thoroughly enjoyed getting to learn more about some of the haunted and demonic items we’ve seen in the Warren’s house. I’m a sucker for worldbuilding, and these little details make the whole The Conjuring universe feel that much more complete. While the movie might be a bit of a letdown for those who have come to expect the major scares from Annabelle, it is a great contribution to the series for devoted fans or casual viewers.
5. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
This movie is my absolute favorite from the Annabelle series. It is the scariest of the Annabelle movies, and delivers in every way possible. Annabelle: Creation is the origin story for Annabelle–predating both Annabelle and Annabelle Comes Home. It follows a group of orphaned girls and a nun, Sister Charlotte, who have been invited to stay in a large farmhouse with an aging couple after their orphanage closed. I’m beginning to notice a pattern…Anyways, this film is directed by David Sandberg who mostly helmed horror shorts prior to this film. Sandberg brings a unique perspective that helps the film deviate from the expected. So much credit goes to Sandberg for making Annabelle: Creation feel fresh and new rather than the stereotypical horror sequel that retreads the original material and formula.
Annabelle: Creation has an excellent cast headed up by Stephanie Sigman as Sister Charlotte, Anthony LaPaglia and a scene-stealing Miranda Otto as the aging couple, and Talitha Bateman and Lulu Wilson as the two primary orphans. Eagle-eyed horror fans might recognize Lulu Wilson from her work in several Mike Flanagan projects including Oujia: Origins of Evil, The Haunting of Hill House, and The Fall of the House of Usher. The real star of the show though is Talitha Bateman who does a truly excellent job as Janice, the orphaned girl who is targeted by the entity attached to the Annabelle doll.
The house itself is also a masterpiece of horror–at times it feels like an endless maze and other times it feels as claustrophobia-inducing as a dollhouse. So many of the best scares are generated by the house itself and really contribute to the building sense of dread. The scares in this film are some of the best since the original The Conjuring movie.
My only knock on this whole spinoff series is that, as scary as the doll is, I don’t find it nearly as frightening as some of the other villains in the Conjuring Universe. I find myself asking over and over again–who on Earth would actually buy this horrible-looking doll?? I have a harder time suspending my disbelief with Annabelle, and that is why Annabelle: Creation comes in at #5 on the list!
4. The Nun II (2023)
The Nun II (2023)
Ah yes, at last we have entered the Nuniverse–the universe within the Conjuring Universe that features my favorite villain in the series. The Nun brings us back to the origin of the demon who takes on the form of a nun and terrorizes Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2. The Nun 2 is a continuation of that storyline. After seemingly vanquishing the demonic nun in the first The Nun movie, it now reappears making its way across Europe. Sister Irene, played by Taissa Farmiga who happens to be the sister of Vera Farmiga, is called out of retirement to investigate the situation. While doing so she reconnects with her friend, Maurice (Jonas Bloquet), who she met in The Nun and brings in the skeptical novitiate Sister Debra, played by the incomparable Storm Reid, to assist.
The Nun 2 was such a fun movie to watch. I really love Sister Irene’s story, and I was so excited to learn more about her background and how she developed her unusual capacity to receive spiritual visions. Taissa Farmiga is every bit the equal to her older sister in bringing such a beloved character from The Conjuring Universe to life. Jonas Bloquet’s Maurice has only become more charming and lovable in this film. I also really love the dynamic between Sister Irene and Sister Debra. Skepticism of religion is something we’ve seen before in The Conjuring Universe, but it is usually dismissed with a comment or two about starting to go to church. Irene and Debra deepen this, talking how they’ve come to their beliefs (or lack thereof) and connecting in their complicated relationship with the church.
I could dedicate at least 10,000 words to how much I love the demonic nun. She is camp, she is iconic, she is queen, she is mother, she is slay the house down boots. There I said it, and I stand by it. The nun is always having a good time when she’s terrorizing everyone, and it is fascinating to see how her powers have expanded in this movie. This movie broke many of the rules previously established in The Conjuring Universe to great effect–when she can appear in a church and murder someone while they are praying, you know you aren’t safe anywhere. Every shadow could be the nun. Every street, every hallway, every room, she is there waiting to ambush her next victim. It bears repeating! You are not safe in a church! Overall, The Nun 2 is far scarier than The Nun and the scares really worked for me.
The reason this movie is only at #4 on the list is because there are pieces of it that feel like a retread. Sister Irene is called in with a partner to help investigate the demonic nun, Maurice shows up, hijinks ensue. There are some callbacks to the first movie that felt a little predictable to me, but my best friend disagreed and said she didn’t find it predictable. Agree to disagree there! The other knock on this movie is the way they killed Father Burke (Demián Bichir), Irene’s co-investigator in The Nun, off screen! He survived all of the demonic nun’s efforts only to die of cholera in Spain. The disrespect! The shade! Can he not have at least been killed off by the nun?
3. The Nun (2018)
The Nun (2018)
I know that not everyone loves The Nun. Some might say the plot is confusing or full of contradictions. Maybe it overly relies on jump scares. To those people, I say “Sure! You might be right! But have you considered that this is in fact a buddy cop movie? Because it is!” Therein lies the central appeal of this film. Starring Taissa Farmiga as the intrepid and clairvoyant Sister Irene and her companion Father Burke (Demián Bichir), The Nun presents the origin story of the villainous Valak, a demon who takes the form of a non. Father Burke is tasked with investigating the mysterious and disturbing events taking place at Saint Carthia’s Monastery in Romania. It turns out this monastery guards one of the gateways to Hell, and the holiness of the land is weakening, allowing Valak to break through and terrorize the remaining inhabitants.
Now allow me to make the case for why this is a buddy cop movie. The typical buddy cop movie should have the following components–an unlikely pairing that becomes a dynamic duo, a compelling mystery, and a comic relief character. Father Burke is the seasoned paranormal investigator with a dark past. He is paired with the young novitiate Sister Irene for reasons that aren’t clear to either of them.This is about as close as you get to an “odd couple” relationship in the Conjuring Universe. As they get to know each other, they come to embrace what each of them brings to the table, learn more about one another, and save each other’s lives on numerous occassions. The compelling mystery is simple and clear–what in the Hell is going on at this monastery? Sister Irene and Father Burke split up to find answers, and by the time they reunite, they have a clearer sense of what is going on. Last of all, we have the character Maurice (Jonas Bloquet), mostly referred to as “Frenchie” in this film as the primary comedic relief. He is comparatively a non-believer, and, being French Canadian, he is also something of an outsider in the town. Maurice’s role grows throughout the film, and he generates many of the funniest lines in the film. The film contains sight gags and word play that punctuates scary moments. The film’s director, Corin Hardy, also uses Checkov’s Gun moments to great effect. With all of this in mind, I submit to you that The Nun is the greatest paranormal buddy cop movie since R.I.P.D. (2013). As a buddy cop movie, it delivers and offers a fun riff on the horror genre.
I’ve already said so many times how much I love Valak, but it bears repeating. The Nun, played by Bonnie Aarons, is absolutely terrifying and such a beloved part of the Conjuring Universe. She delights in the chase and toying with her victims, and she is absolutely the type of villain to go on a long monologue at the end of the film, allowing the protagonists to pull out a miraculous win right under her nose. She is That Girl. The Nun is hands down one of the best films in the franchise, and I will not be taking any questions at this time.
2. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Unsurprisingly, The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 take the top two spots in this list. They tell two of the classic Ed and Lorraine Warren paranormal investigations–the haunting of the Perron family in Rhode Island and the Enfield Poltergeist haunting in England respectively. The Conjuring 2 takes the second spot for me. The Warrens are called in from across the ocean to help investigate the infamous Enfield haunting. A single woman with a large family living in a council estate (similar to Section 8 housing in the US) are terrorized by a mysterious entity which they believe to be the former occupant of the house.
The scares are absolutely fantastic in this film. They start slowly, focusing on the younger children and Janet in particular. Those who are familiar with the original case will know that Janet is the center of the haunting. The casting and cinematography reflect director James Wan’s deep respect for the story. The children closely resemble their real-life counterparts and many moments are shot to directly reflect the recordings taken from the haunting. This amazing blending of fact and fiction is what makes The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 so utterly compelling. Wan pulls you so completely into this world that whether you believe in demons, ghosts, and Catholicism or not, you become a believer in this world. The number of times I, an atheist, have turned to my roommate, a Jewish person, and said “they better start praying right now!” is a true testament to the level of immersion achieved in these films.
A particular highlight of The Conjuring 2 in particular is the heart-warming moments you get between Ed and Lorraine. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have unbeatable chemistry, and it is impossible not to root for them in these films. In this movie we learn more about their dynamic, what they are afraid of, and how they rely upon one another. I can’t help but love their relationship and their dynamic. Our favorite demonic nun, Valak, puts the pressure on these two by terrorizing Lorraine with horrifying visions of Ed’s death.
The scares are well-earned with fantastic scenes with our favorite demonic nun, Valak, and the Crooked Man, a villain who almost had his own spinoff. Sadly, that film has yet to come to fruition. The ghost of Bill, the former occupant of the house, is also very scary. Most importantly, the mystery at the heart of this story is compelling and genuinely puzzling, resulting in a fantastic climax. The only reason this movie is at #2 on this list is that it’s not…
1. The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring (2013)
The film that launched it all. I remember when I first heard about this movie and the scares it generated. I was almost too scared to watch it myself, but I’m so glad I gave it a shot. This film introduces Ed and Lorraine Warren to us as well as the Annabelle doll and teases both the demonic nun and a character who reappears later (or earlier by timeline) in The Nun. My favorite horror movies are stories about haunted houses. I love the way a haunted house flips the idea of homes as being safe and secure right on its head. They have a way of unearthing our deepest fears, things long buried in the past, and unspoken dynamics within the family. The Conjuring is quite possibly my favorite haunted house film of all.
This film revolves around the Perron family who have newly moved into a large and suspiciously affordable home in rural Rhode Island. Over the next week, many suspicious things happen. The family dog passes away suddenly (Why James why? This is my least favorite horror trope!). Animals begin acting strangely, the children have trouble sleeping, and the clocks all mysteriously stop at the same time every night. The viewer starts to scrutinize every shadow, window, and corner, looking for new signs of a paranormal threat within the house, and we are rewarded with scares aplenty. Director James Wan wisely holds off a full reveal of the horror in the house until the climax of the movie. Before that we are given glimpses of faces, hanging legs, and rotten hands. There are many ghosts of prior residents who have also fallen prey to the evil entity haunting this home and each one brings new scares and new hints of what is to come.
In addition to being a haunted house story, it is also a story of motherhood and the ways in which motherhood is vulnerable to these hauntings. The love of a mother for her child corrupted becomes the scariest part of this film because it is something considered sacred and unshakeable. Is this a metaphor for postpartum depression? You tell me!
The Conjuring lays the groundwork for all of the future films in the Conjuring Universe. It is the most frightening, and the story is tightly scripted and beautifully constructed. Wan’s dedication to the original case once again shines through here in the casting and cinematography. We are left again asking–is it fact or is it fiction? And isn’t that the scariest part of all?
