Every ‘Conjuring’ Movie Ranked from Worst to Best

From haunted farmhouses to demonic dolls and unholy nuns, the ‘Conjuring’ universe has grown into a sprawling web of connected cases tied to Ed and Lorraine Warren’s files. Below is a complete, franchise-wide countdown—spin-offs included—arranged purely by public reception data so you can trace the saga from the roughest detours to the most acclaimed centerpiece. Each entry includes quick, useful context on what it covers, who’s behind it, and how it fits into the larger universe.

‘The Curse of La Llorona’ (2019)

Directed by Michael Chaves, this spin-off draws from the Mexican folklore of the Weeping Woman and follows a social worker whose family attracts the entity’s attention. Though marketed adjacent to the universe, it connects through Father Perez from ‘Annabelle’ and references to the Warren artifacts. The story centers on protective rituals, a curandero ally, and the curse’s rules as it targets children. Its events unfold parallel to the wider timeline and nod to the franchise’s demonology without directly advancing the Warrens’ ongoing arc.

‘The Nun’ (2018)

Set around a Romanian abbey, this prequel explores the origins of the demonic entity Valak introduced in ‘The Conjuring 2’. Taissa Farmiga and Demián Bichir lead an investigation that unearths a sealed gateway, sacred relics, and a clerical cover-up. The film establishes iconography—habit, sigils, relics—that recurs throughout later entries. It also seeds connections to Frenchie/Maurice, linking back to footage glimpsed in the mainline entries.

‘Annabelle’ (2014)

This early spin-off follows a young couple whose vintage doll becomes a conduit after a cult’s violent home invasion. It details how the doll’s containment fails, the limits of clergy intervention outside church grounds, and the artifact’s eventual transfer to the Warrens’ room. Tony Amendola’s Father Perez forms a bridge to later films and cements procedural steps for handling possessed objects. The narrative clarifies the doll’s rules and the price of bargaining with the demonic presence attached to it.

‘The Nun II’ (2023)

Michael Chaves returns to track Valak’s resurgence across Europe as Sister Irene crosses paths again with Maurice/Frenchie. The investigation pivots on a martyr’s relic, a string of clergy deaths, and the demon’s pursuit of a specific bloodline. It expands the lore around how relics are identified, transported, and weaponized against malevolent entities. The film reinforces continuity between the abbey fallout and the circumstances that later place Maurice in Warren case files.

‘Annabelle Comes Home’ (2019)

Gary Dauberman directs a contained story largely inside the Warrens’ artifact room, where the doll acts as a catalyst to free other cursed objects. The plot focuses on the safeguards around the museum—glass cases, priestly blessings, and labeling protocols—and what happens when those systems fail. Mckenna Grace’s Judy Warren highlights how the family manages living with ongoing spiritual risk. Several entities introduced here serve as backdoor teases for potential cases beyond the doll itself.

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

This installment adapts the real court case in which a defendant claimed demonic possession as a defense. It shifts toward investigative procedure: crime-scene forensics, totem tracking, and the role of an occultist adversary orchestrating a curse. The film maps how the Warrens collaborate with law enforcement while maintaining religious protocols for exorcism and evidence. It also documents Ed Warren’s health challenges and how Lorraine’s visions are operationalized during active investigations.

‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ (2025)

Framed as a final Warren case, this chapter centers on the Smurl haunting and ties together multiple recurring elements—artifacts, prior manifestations, and the cost of prolonged spiritual warfare. It catalogs lecture-tour outreach, case-file reviews, and family-safety measures the Warrens adopt when threats follow them home. The narrative emphasizes chain-of-custody for objects, sanctified spaces, and escalation patterns that trigger church involvement. It positions the Warrens’ legacy within the universe by closing loops opened across earlier files.

‘Annabelle: Creation’ (2017)

David F. Sandberg’s prequel reveals the doll’s origin inside a dollmaker’s home after a family tragedy leads to an ill-fated invitation. The story demonstrates how an entity exploits grief, house layout, and mobility aids to isolate victims. It connects directly to ‘Annabelle’ by charting the transfer of the vessel and explaining the doll’s markings and containment attempts. The film also clarifies the limitations of layperson exorcisms and why secure ecclesiastical oversight becomes necessary.

‘The Conjuring 2’ (2016)

James Wan dramatizes the Enfield case, following a single-parent household besieged by a spirit with ulterior motives. The investigation showcases the Warrens’ vetting process—skeptic interviews, audio evidence, and staged tests to eliminate hoaxes. Valak’s sigil and name-based banishment are introduced, providing a recurring method of spiritual countermeasure. The film also highlights international church coordination and media scrutiny that complicate field work.

‘The Conjuring’ (2013)

The franchise’s cornerstone recounts the Perron family case, establishing the Warrens’ toolkit: relics, recording equipment, and a classification system for infestation, oppression, and possession. It codifies rules for permission, thresholds, and the tagging of cursed objects before museum storage. The narrative formalizes how clergy are engaged, including documentation needed to seek approval for rites. It launches the shared universe by planting threads—like the doll and prior cases—that spin out into later investigations.

Share your own order—and which case file you revisit most often—in the comments!