The Conjuring Movies in Order (September 2024)

The Conjuring timeline is confusing, with the release of The Conjuring movies in order. The total number of films to watch in The Conjuring franchise is eight (or if you discount, The Curse of La Lorona). Could you give it a seven)? – It’s a scary marathon.

How Many Conjuring Movies Are There?

The movies span five decades, starting in the ’40s and running through the ’80s, when the Warrens, the paranormal investigator at the franchise’s center, were at the peak of their supernatural hunt. Let’s discuss how to watch The Conjuring Movies in order.

However, the movies were not broadcast chronologically, making it difficult to track who joined whom. To complicate things further, the Conjuring universe movies expand with stories beyond the Warrens, creating a Conjuring universe at the MCU. There’s The Nun, which has a sequel, and three films for Annabelle, Dolls Nearby.

The Conjuring Movies in Chronological Order

This option gives you the chronological order of watching movies. You start with The Nun, set in 1952, through The Conjuring 2, established in 1977. Director Michael Chaves has since argued that The Curse of La Lorona should not be counted because it was not produced with the franchise club, but we’ve left it here for completeness.

All Conjuring Movies According to Release Date

This command does what it says. It follows the order of the movies that were released. We begin with our first preface to Ed and Lorraine Warren. And end with a different story that doesn’t have our lead pair.

How To Watch The Conjuring in Chronological Order

The first option is the best, but the second is a more natural fit as the ideas have evolved. You’ll also want to know that The Conjuring movies are available to rent and buy on Blu-ray and DVD. The Conjuring 1 and 2 come as a box set. If you want to see Annabelle movies before heading to the auditorium, there’s also the primary Annabelle DVD and Annabelle Creations. There’s no final box set with all the films—yet.

1. The Nun (1952/1971)

The Conjuring Timeline’s first nun is The Nun, set in 1952. The story follows Father Burke and Sister Irene as they depart for Romania to explore a convent after a nun destroys herself. When they set off, they are unaware that it’s all connected to the demon Valak, but they soon switch to cotton.

In the final scene, set in 1971, we also learn that Frenchie is Maurice Thériault. If you’re struggling to remember, here’s the person cast in The Conjuring (the first movie released). Again, if you watch Conjuring movies in chronological order, it gets a bit complicated—you’ll probably stop before that scene and then come back. We will watch this scene, remember it, and move on.

2. Annabelle: Creation (1943/1952/1955/1967)

Annabelle: Creation is a sequel to Annabelle, which was also a sequel to the movies. The film explains how the demonic doll was created and captured. It all started with a car accident in 1943. This is probably the better of Annabelle’s three movies.

There’s a post-credits scene to confuse things a bit and tease The Nun. But it’s set in 195w. So you have to watch The Nun and then return to Annabelle: To Take It Story in 1967, built on time. Watch The Nun later if you’re not talking about the whole timeline.

3. Annabelle (1967)

The first Annabelle movie takes you to the deep end. The demonic doll causes all kinds of havoc; that is its bare essence.

4. The Conjuring (1968/1971)

The first film was published in The Conjuring franchise, which started it all. It depicts Ed and Lorraine Warren in the ’70s investigating a family’s move into a haunted house. It’s based on a real issue (though Annabelle technically is, too).

5. Annabelle Comes Home (1968/1969 or 1971/1972)

The new movie, Annabelle Comes Home, begins with Warren picking up Annabelle and taking her home to drop her in their craft room, where they keep all kinds of scary things. This is an expanded version of The Conjuring Scene (1968), so you recognize it. It might sound strange if you’re viewing these in chronological order but stick with it.

The film takes place in 1969, when the Warrens set off on a journey, leaving their daughter Judy with a babysitter, Mary Ellen. The demonic doll wins and casts out all the other demons. The Artifact Rooms provide a massive amount of Easter eggs (if we may call them that), as does everything the Warrens have collected over the years, including the Peron Music Box (in The Conjuring).

6. The Curse of La Llorona (1973)

Next is The Curse of La Llorona. It is based on the folktale Weeping Woman in 1973. We see a mother struggling to protect her children. The movie will sound a bit odd as there is no apparent connection to the broader Warren story. But Father Perez starts – he was casting Annabelle.

7. The Conjuring 2 (1976/1977)

We return to the Warrens with another ‘true story’ outbreak with The Conjuring 2. In 1976, the Warrens investigated the Amityville House case and then moved to England to study the Enfield Hauntings.

The Nun and The Crooked Man appear here, and we mention them because he’s also getting his movie.

9. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (1980/81)

The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It brings us back to the ’80s when the Warrens investigated the capture of 11-year-old David Glatzel in 1980. We start things there before taking up the case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson in 1981.

Yet we follow the real-life case of Warren, with The Conjuring 3 true story covering the issue and Arne Johnson’s defense of what he had. If you want to watch a spoiler-free summary of the film, here’s our The Conjuring 3 review.

The Conjuring Shorts

It is more of a premium entry, but as the basis of the Annabelle Creations broadcast in 2017, Warner Bros. Pictures conducted a contest for fans to create short films. They then added to The Conjuring Universe. You can see the winners’ entries on YouTube.

• Midwife
• Confession
• what’s wrong with mom
• Blund’s Lullaby
• innocent souls

The Conjuring Movies: Cast

The Conjuring (2013)

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

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

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is “The Conjuring” suitable for a general audience?

“The Conjuring” is rated R for intense sequences of disturbing violence and terror, making it more suitable for mature audiences.

2. Are the Conjuring movies based on true events?

Real-life cases of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren inspire the Conjuring movies.

3. Do I need to watch the Conjuring movies in order?

Watching in release order is recommended to follow the storyline, but they can be enjoyed individually.

4. Which Conjuring movie features the demon nun, Valak?

The demon nun, Valak, first appears in “The Conjuring 2” (2016) and has a spin-off movie titled “The Nun” (2018).

5. How many movies are in the Conjuring Universe?

There are currently eight movies in the Conjuring Universe, with more in development.

6. Are Ed and Lorraine Warren real people?

Ed and Lorraine Warren were real-life paranormal investigators known for their involvement in several famous haunting cases.

Conclusion

There are excellent ways to watch movies, so we’ve broken down the Conjuring film, including the Annabelle movies and The Nun Timeline, for you.