The Conjuring began as a single film but has since quickly expanded to create its very own Conjuring Universe and $2.1 billion franchise. Beginning with 2013’s original The Conjuring, the film series has since spawned seven sequels and spin-offs with its latest film, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
While each film in the series follows its own storyline, there is a common thread — the Warrens. Ed and Lorraine Warren, who are not fictional, were “demonologists” who specialized in the paranormal, and authors of several books about their experiences. The dynamic (and controversial) duo would travel from case to case, helping people deal with their supernatural problems. The Conjuring is based on one of their most infamous and insidious cases.
The spin-offs focus on other paranormal entities and cases the Warrens encountered along their career. However, while inspired by Ed and Lorraine Warren’s case files, the films do take quite a few creative liberties with the accounts. Yet through it all, the main storyline of the series shines through. To see the paranormal progression, you can watch the series in order of release date or of order in The Conjuring Universe, which we have taken the liberty of outlining for you below. So watch if you dare and enjoy the show, but don’t say we didn’t warn you!
To begin, we will introduce you to the world of The Conjuring in order of release date.
The Conjuring– 2013
The Conjuring is the original movie in the series and was released in 2013. It introduces viewers to the Warren family, the paranormal investigators who put the field on the map. The Warrens take on the case of the real-life Perron family, whose dream home has quickly become a nightmare as it becomes overrun with paranormal entities galore. We also get a glimpse at the horrifying “Annabelle” doll whose storyline is picked up in the next installment in the series.
The film was a huge success that brought in $319 million at the box office and quickly resulted in a close-following sequel which featured none other than — guess who.
Annabelle– 2014
Nope, nope, and more nope. A creepy possessed doll running around tormenting a household? No, thank you. Yet the story of Annabelle had fans running to (and away from) theatres. The creepy doll was presented briefly in the original The Conjuring but soon after got her very own spin-off. While her cracked porcelain skin and wide, human-like eyes that seem to stare into your soul are horrifying enough, by far the creepiest thing about this doll is — she’s real. Well, sort of. There was a real Annabelle doll that the Warrens took custody of, but it was actually a Raggedy Anne doll, not the horror movie production version seen above.
The second installment in the series is a more fictionalized version of where Annabelle came from and how she ended up crossing paths with the Warrens. The film was also a huge success, bringing in $257.6 million.
The Conjuring 2– 2016
Just when you thought the Warrens had seen it all, here comes the third installment in the series. This time the Warrens jet off to England, to work with one of the most well-documented cases of a contemporary haunting to date. It is based on the true story of the “Enfield Haunting,” which features alleged photographic and video evidence of what took place.
This film serves as the sequel to the first installment of The Conjuring and brought in $321.8 million.
Annabelle: Creation- 2017
If you thought you had seen the last of the horrifying Annabelle doll, you were dead wrong. Pun intended. Annabelle makes another appearance in The Conjuring universe, going back, all the way back to the who, what, and why behind the creation of this terrifying doll. Hint — it’s a dollmaker who attempts to bring in the spirit of his dead daughter through a doll he created, and instead gets far more than he bargained for.
The creation story film even beat the original Annabelle installment bringing in $306.5 million. People just seem to love the Annabelle storyline though we can’t for the life (or death) of us figure out why.
The Nun– 2018
The only thing worse than a creepy haunted doll, is the demonic nun possessing it. We are introduced to the demonic entity named “Valak” who takes the shape of a demented, demonic nun who has been circling the Warrens for a long time. The storyline takes us to a convent in Romania, where a serious problem has caused the Vatican to send investigators to see what exactly is causing all the chaos. The investigators find far more than they bargained for.
The Nun brought in $365.5 million, making it one of the highest-grossing installments of the franchise.
The Curse of La Llorona– 2019
Here is where The Conjuring Universe takes an odd turn. The film is based on the story of “The Curse of the Weeping Woman,” which is a Latin American folk story of a crying woman spirit who steals the souls of children to replace her own lost ones. The film begins in 1600 in Mexico, and fast-forwards to the 1970s in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, fans did not seem to feel this installment’s connection to the other films, and the plotline did not exactly fit in.
The Curse of La Llorona brought in $123 million, which while not exactly a bust, certainly did not reach the level of achievement of the other films. Oh well, can’t win them all.
Annabelle Comes Home- 2019
Did you miss her? We know we didn’t. Annabelle Comes Home is the seventh installment in the series and follows what happens when Annabelle escapes her cage in the Warren home and teams up with another posessed object to wreak havoc.
The film revamped the series, bringing in $231.3 million.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it – 2021
Last but not least, we have The Devil Made Me Do It which is based on a true case termed “The Devil in Connecticut” in which a man murdered his landlord, claiming “the devil made him do it.” The young man stabbed his landlord 22 times after attending the exorcism of his girlfriend’s younger brother. He claimed the entity that inhabited the boy had been transferred to him, causing the crime to take place. The Warrens actually attended the trial in the man’s defense, and it was the first ever case of “not guilty by demonic possession” ever tried in court.
The film brought in $206.4 million, which is less than its predecessor, but still a respectable haul for the film. It is the 8th, the latest, and so far the last installment in the series.
Watching the films in this order does let you see how the filmmakers developed ideas and concepts as time progressed and budgets increased. And it is fascinating to see how the series changes from a horror franchise to a massive cinematic universe. However, it is a disjointed experience, with you as the viewer jumping between time periods, sub-series, and plot lines. Another way to enjoy the films is in order of the plotline, we’ve outlined that for you below.
The Conjuring In Universe Order
The Conjuring movies are set between 1952 and 1981. As all the films have established dates, you can easily watch the series in chronological order.
To watch in this order starts you off with The Nun, which is set in 1952. This film follows Father Burke and Sister Irene as they set off to investigate strange happenings at a convent, only to find that the demonic presence “Valak” is involved and has taken the form of a nun.
After this, you’ll move on to Annabelle: Creation to see the origins of the Annabelle doll. This film is set in several different periods, as the event putting the movie in motion ⏤ a car crash ⏤ takes place in 1943. However, the bulk of the film takes place in 1955. The film follows a dollmaker and his wife who, after losing their child, open their home to a nun and several orphans, only to find themselves under attack by the very doll they created to replace their lost daughter. A doll they named — Annabelle.
From there, you’ll take a ten-year jump to 1967 to watch Annabelle. This film follows John and Mia Form, a married couple who are happily expecting a child. Unfortunately, the husband makes the horrible mistake of gifting his pregnant wife the Annabelle doll. Oops. The once-happy couple quickly find themselves fighting for their lives.
With the origin films done, you’ll next enter the main series, moving to The Conjuring, set in 1971. This will also be your first introduction to the Warrens, and their first introduction to the Annabelle doll. The storyline follows the true case of the Warrens as they help the Perron family who have moved into a very haunted house.
After this, you return to the Annabelle subseries for Annabelle Comes Home, which is once again set in several different periods. However, the main plot is set in 1972, and follows the Warrens as they take the doll to their artifacts room, only for it to escape and cause havoc, forcing them to recapture the doll all over again.
From there, you’ll go to 1973 for the controversial, The Curse of La Llorona. This film follows a mother trying to protect her child from the Weeping Woman, a supernatural entity that seeks to harm them.
The final films in the timeline see us return to the main series, first with The Conjuring 2 in 1977. The Conjuring 2 picks up where the first film ends, and sees the Warrens tackling the Amityville House and Enfield Hauntings, two famous real-world hauntings.
The current timeline ends in 1981 with The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. The Warrens once again set out to solve a supernatural mystery with the possession of David Glatzel before moving on to Arne Cheyenne Johnson, another possession case.
This order is a fascinating way to watch The Conjuring films as it takes you through the origins of the creatures the Warrens face in the later installments.
However, it isn’t without issues.
The Curse of La Llorona Controversy
Many fans debate The Curse of La Llorona as actually being a part of The Conjuring universe, leading to many fan-made watch lists not even bothering to include it.
It is understandable as the film doesn’t really clearly link to the other films in the franchise. At first, the film was described as a stand-alone movie, simply called The Children. However, when the first trailers came out, it was revealed that Tony Amendola was reprising his role as Father Perez, the character he played in Annabelle. However, his appearance is brief, and while he references the events of the previous installments, it doesn’t play into the Weeping Woman plot. Yet if you really want to get the full experience we say throw it in, it’s worth a watch.
The Conjuring has certainly made its mark on the horror movie industry, creating its very own $2.1 billion franchise. There are two distinct ways to watch the 8 installment series but in our humble opinion, either way is going to give you all the thrills and chills you’ve come to expect from the franchise. Beleive us, whether you meet Annabelle at her origins or mid possession, she is just as horrifying. So pick your path and enjoy the ride friends, but don’t say we didn’t warn you!