Introduction
The Conjuring franchise that started in 2013 with Warner Bros and James Wan leading the way has expanded to multiple films and spin offs and is one of the most popular mainstream horror universe currently. With generally favorable reviews, this franchise has been notable for it's dynamic showcasing of horror themes, that includes supernatural elements, witch-crafting, evil ritualistic practices and demon possession to name a few. While only the Conjuring series of films are based on true stories and the others are mostly fictional with real life references, it doesn't take away the fact that all of the films have been quite scary in particular. Now that the teaser of 'The Conjuring: Last Rites' has dropped a couple of days ago, Warner Bros has announced that it would be the last film of the first phase of the Conjuring Universe films. Here's me ranking the films of this nine-film long (wanna be ten-film long with Last Rites arriving on 5th September this year) and twelve-year old horror franchise from letdowns (underwhelming) to winners (best).
Note: This ranking is based on my own POV, and hence, it's my personal opinion; your opinion may surely differ from mine, and that's completely fine.
9. Annabelle Comes Home
Directed by Gary Dauberman, this 2019 supernatural horror film is the third film in the Annabelle direct franchise. While some of the horror scenes work in the film, it's the chaotic climax and lack of originality that restricted this film to make it's impact. I mean, the direct series of the Conjuring films (which are based on true events), feature Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, and the audience is keen on watching this on screen couple in real life inspired films. Annabelle Comes Home strangely breaks this convention and what follows in this film is Annabelle creating mayhem in the Warren's museum, which is far from reality. The jump-scares don't work and the overall scares are significantly less as compared to other films in the Annabelle direct series. All in all, the loose core plot by James Wan (very surprising of Wan writing an average story) and the convention breaking by the creator Wan himself kept this film at bay and even after being commercially successful (owing to the fans), Annabelle Comes Home remains as a not so strong entre into the Conjuring Universe.
Watch Out For
- The museum scene where Annabelle is released
WTF Rating
6/10
8. Annabelle
John R Leonetti's 2014 supernatural horror 'Annabelle' ranks second from the bottom in the nine-film list. While this isn't too bad a film, it's quite generic and was compared negatively to The Conjuring that released just a year ago. The scare elements weren't too bad, but the fact that superior films that continued to be produced post 'Annabelle', pushed this film down. Overall, Annabelle doesn't really stand out in the franchise mostly because it lacked the unique elements that elevate a film. Performances, cgi, and even the screenplay were generic to the extent that it failed to provided something that's extremely special. But I think, the main damage was done by the success of The Conjuring (2013). The 2013 horror thriller raised the bar for the upcoming films in this franchise, and when the audience had high hopes from the future films, they were underdelivered right away. All these bits and pieces rank Annabelle among the backbenchers. The core strength of the film was undeniably it's ability to make money (when it was up in the theatres) in spite of getting negative reviews from the critics.
Watch Out For
- The elevator scene
WTF Rating
6/10
7. The Curse of La Llorona
Although this 2019 film isn't really an instalment in The Conjuring franchise, it takes place inside the universe, and also introduces the debutant director Michael Chaves into the universe. Chaves has since then directed 'The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It' (2021), 'The Nun II' (2023) and 'The Conjuring: Last Rites' (2025), all of which are proper instalments of this universe. Based on the Latin American folklore of 'The Weeping Woman' who haunts children, this film isn't as bad as the critics say. The direction is surprisingly decent for a film with only 26% aggregate rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the plot is fine and the overall execution isn't really bad. Chaves has definitely improved over the years, but this being his debut film, provides nice entertainment. It's decently spooky as well and the jump-scares are overall nice, and a subtle emotional touch help this film to a certain extent as well. The end is surely quite chaotic and the character arc of Patricia took an abrupt turn in the climax, but that's forgivable. It's just because of the fact that better films have been produced in this franchise post this film, that this film ranks towards the bottom.
Watch Out For
- The child service shelter scene
WTF Rating
6.5/10
6. The Nun II
Directed by Michael Chaves, this is the follow up to The Nun (2018) and stands sixth on this list. Although there were a few major improvements in this film over it's predecessor in terms of cgi work, direction (partial), and even screenplay, the shortened screen time of Bonnie Aarons (The Nun) is what makes Nun II, nothing more than a decent affair. Too many villains are seemed to be either possessed or influenced by the nun, who then go on to create havoc in the film, and that's good. I'm not complaining. But come on, how can you even forget that the nun is the main villain here? It's that badass character upon whom the film is named! After certain good creepy scenes, this film seems to lose it's track and entirely becomes a thriller with horror elements just becoming way too generic. Performances (Taissa Farmiga and Bonnie Aarons) really save this film to a great extent. Director Michael Chaves was able to manage the 'horror' and 'thrill' elements quite well in the third Conjuring movie that released in 2021, and while everyone expected him to level up the game with The Nun II in 2023, his direction misfired a bit towards the latter half of the film, and thus, his upward moving graph of his 'quality of films', sadly declined. Hope he learns from his mistakes, and does justice to Last Rites (2025).
Watch Out For
- The climax
- Cast performances (including Jonas Bloquet)
WTF Rating
6.5/10
5. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
It's back to back Michael Chaves's films now, with The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It standing at number 5. This film is surely the weakest of the three Conjuring films that have released till date, but it has quite a few good bits too! Firstly, the scares are good. They're quite well executed, well edited, and the cgi work is commendable as well. Secondly, it's the story that gives this film an edge. Like the earlier Conjuring films, this film is also based on a true story. The trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson in 1984, in Connecticut USA is the real life event that provides the basis for this film, and as witch-crafting is involved to a certain extent, the director took full creative liberty to design scenes that justify the same. Bones breaking, body twisting, inhuman screaming from pain, and on the face horror are factors that constitute majority of the scenes in this supernatural thriller. Performances supremely elevate this film and while every other thing would look absurd after a certain time, it's Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga who constantly give this film a sense of purpose. But, as they say, everything comes at a cost! This theme in particular, robs this film off the 'spooky haunted house' essence, which was the heart and soul of both of it's prequels. And also, the main theme of demonology and ghost-hunting goes for a complete toss in this witch-crafting wild creep-fest. Thus, while this film is good in particular, it gave us a lesson, that changing the established 'tried and tested' tropes of a successful franchise is an act that should mostly be avoided.
Watch Out For
- The opening scene
- The climax
- The water bed scene
- Cast Performances
WTF Rating
6.5/10
4. The Nun
Now before you all pounce on me for ranking a Corin Hardy film with generally unfavorable reviews and 24% Rotten Tomatoes, in the fourth position among nine films, I want to clarify once again that this is my personal opinion and yours can be absolutely different, and I respect that. But I have my own reasons too, which I'm going to explain here. We must not forget that the Nun franchise is about gothic horror, and while The Nun II gives you the gothic feel, it's the 2018 prequel that provides you the experience! Played by Bonnie Aarons, the Nun is the main villain, who, unlike The Nun II, is present literally everywhere in this film, which makes you even question the powers of The Almighty. Such is her presence! And when talking about The Almighty, it's our protagonist Taissa Farmiga as 'Sister Irene' who's determined, and mentally strong enough to beat the demon with the blessings of God. You get that spooky vibe throughout the film and although this film has poor cgi work and some inorganic horror scenes, this film is undeniably uncomfortable to watch at certain places and when combined with the film's 'on the face' gore nature, it's an absolute treat for the horror fans. There is a very understated tinge of humor which worked well for me at least, especially due to it's execution. There is surely a major problem with this film in terms of it's story, where an entire hallucination and it's continued revelation scene, that should've come as an absolute shocker if executed well, falls obnoxiously flat instead. I was seriously enraged after seeing that the scene which felt so strong on-paper, came out to be so weak. There are several bits in the story that the makers simply did not care to explain, and that resulted in some terrible loopholes. There is also a timeline problem in the film that sadly remains unaddressed once again amidst all this gothic chaos. That being said, this film stands out due to it's gothic experience, unsettling atmosphere, gore nature, and of course, Bonnie Aarons!
Watch Out For
- The horror scenes
- Bonnie Aaron and Taissa Farmiga's performance
WTF Rating
6.5/10
3. Annabelle Creation
We have entered the top three and how! It's 'Lights Out' fame David F. Sandberg's 'Annabelle Creation' that ranks third on this list. This is by far the best Annabelle film in terms of content, direction, writing and the overall execution and as the name suggests, this film shows how the Annabelle was 'created', and how it went on to become so evil. I particularly like the film's world building; set probably in early 1950's, the primary house in focus is in the middle of nowhere, which screams unknown-ness. The timeline, color grading, locations and characters, engrosses you into it's fictional world, which makes this film a very interesting watch. The tone of mystery and the way it's unfolded is genuinely good and so are the scares! Delicious! The way the horror scenes are set up really gives you the chills and the overall discomfort while watching as well. The jump-scares are organic and unlike The Nun, they're not dominated by the amplified sounds effects that run in parallel, instead, the jump-scares enhance and intensify the horror scenes. The cgi work is fine, while on the other hand, the subtle use of witch-crafting themes and strong use of bloodshed, are factors that increase the overall dynamism factor of the story. An absolute blast indeed! Particular praise to the writer 'Gary Dauberman' as well, who intentionally let out important hints and clues about the mystery, but ensured the that the revelation comes exactly at the right time. The overall tonality of the film does change towards the end as the film becomes slightly over the top and on the face, but that's subjective, and for me, forgivable. You won't feel the tonal shift hindering your experience primarily due to the towering performances of the lead cast (especially that of the child actors). I don't know why director David F. Sandberg wasn't signed in to continue Annabelle Comes Home as well, because if that happened, this list would've looked different.
Watch Out For
- The horror scenes
- The bloody mayhem
- Cast performances
WTF Rating
7.5/10
2. The Conjuring 2
The second instalment of the Conjuring franchise ranks second in this mega list and one can easily understand the influence that director James Wan has over this entire franchise and it's shared universe, as both of his directorial grab the first and second spot in this list. Set in 1977, this film is based on the Enfield house hauntings in England, and the subsequent real life investigations led by demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. Directed by James Wan, The Conjuring 2 stands out as one of the few horror films which efficiently balances classic and graphic horror, providing plenty to rejoice for fans. Apart from the solid cast performances, I would love to particularly praise for the camera work as well. You will seriously get spooked with the camera moving the way it did in the film, providing an eerie atmosphere which even you feel you're a part of! The diabolic moving of objects, things going wild, and absurd occurring are shot without cuts with a hand-held camera, that provides this film with it's free flowing horror scenes, that look very real! Jump-scares well shot and cut and are terrific in nature. Also, the fact that you won't really see the jump-scares coming is the best part of the film! Another major positive has to be the manner in which the screenplay is written, with an unexpected join-the-dots twist in the climax which leads to an absolute adventurous final act! This is one such intoxicating blend of drama, emotion, suspense, thrill, and most importantly solid horror, that you can't take your eyes off it (even if you're damn scared!). This is a commercial horror entertainer that's delightfully terrifying!
Watch Out For
- Performances
- Climax and the final act
- Valak!
WTF Rating
8/10
1. The Conjuring
It has all come down to 'The Conjuring' which stands tall at the top of our list even after twelve long years of it's release. Once you watch this film, you realize that director James Wan really struck gold right in the very beginning of the franchise, by taking inspiration from a real life haunting and by getting one of the key investigators of the haunting, Lorraine Warren, on board to be an integral part of the film! Based on the 1971 Perron family hauntings in Harrisville, Rhode Island, USA, this film is truly a tale of classic horror! While horror films at that time were trying to do out of the box things, The Conjuring stuck to the basics and with the able direction of James Wan, gave us an experience that got under our skin! The hand-held continuous camera work that I praised in The Conjuring 2, have originated from this film, and things here are equally terrifying. A number of wide angle shots give you the feel that you're in that house with the Perron family, and that's enough to make you tremble. Highly efficient jump-scares, minimal use of music and a linear presentation of horror make this film quite unsettling in most of the places. I loved how the film had an overall somber and monochrome like color grading (most probably to reflect the theme and timeline of the film), which enhanced the look & feel to a great extent. Performances were absolutely spot-on, and it's primarily due to the high-staked climax cum final-act, that made the film feel all the more thrilling! The story was nice and so was the execution, and all in all, I would say that, despite the efforts from the Conjuring fans over the years to not let other films from the franchise gain as much significance as the first film, this film has easily has enough material in itself, to beat any modern day supernatural horror-thriller! All that effort from the fans was unnecessary actually.
Watch Out For
- Performances
- Camera work
- Scares
- Climax!
WTF Rating
8.5/10
Conclusion
This was our ranking of the films of Warner Bros' The Conjuring Universe which is again, subjective. Your ranking may differ and you are always welcome to comment down what are your thoughts and POV about the ranking. Let's hope that The Conjuring: Last Rites, that awaits it's release on September 5 this year, will rise up above all the films in this universe, to end the first phase on a very high note! Till then, stay tuned.