The Conjuring Universe is the first horror cinematic universe. See how we rank each of the movies in the franchise from worst to best!
With five movies and over one billion dollars at the box office—and counting—The Conjuring franchise of movies has become one of the most unlikely cinematic universes following in the model of Marvel’s. It all launched in 2013 with James Wan’s The Conjuring, which premiered to critical acclaim and a box office to match. It eventually spawned two spin-off series and shows no signs of stopping—The Nun recently posted a franchise-best opening weekend. However, as the franchise expands, the expectations for each installment rises. So, below we’ve ranked all The Conjuring Universe films from worst to best!
Let us know in the comments if you agree with our list and your rankings!
The Nun (2018)
The Nun is incredibly well shot and designed—its the first move in the franchise to not take place in a house—but that’s really where the compliments end. This entry is the first to feel like a big horror blockbuster, and that’s not a good thing. As with The Conjuring 2 later in this list, the reliance on CGI to support the scares cheapens the movie as a whole. Also, the movie has no tension because it goes from 0 to 100, then stays there, which would be fine if every scare didn’t follow the exact same formula. Its visually striking and has a strong lead performance by Taissa Farmiga, but this is the first movie in
The Nun is available for pre-order on Amazon!
Annabelle (2014)
Annabelle is actually better than it’s been made out to be. Yes, it relies too much on jump scares, has a formulaic plot, and two wooden leads that don’t add much substance. However, its horror, while fleeting, is effective—the home invasion set piece is particularly effective. Had the plot broken away from a typical horror movie formula and given interesting supporting characters like Alfre Woodard more screentime, it had the potential to be a solid entry in the franchise.
Annabelle is available to rent and buy on Amazon!
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The Conjuring 2 finds the Warren’s tackling yet another family being tormented by a demon. This time, however, the Warrens are also being tormented by their own demons. Beginning with a stellar cold open featuring the infamous Amityville haunting, The Conjuring 2 has its moments, but fails to live up to the original. Its issues can be traced back to the problems most sequels have—it’s too big of a movie. The scares, while sometimes effective, are too reliant on CGI and retracing the patterns of scares from the original. The plot also became to complicated for the deeper emotional arc of the Warrens to truly pay off.
The Conjuring 2 is available to rent and buy on Amazon!
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
For franchises like The Conjuring Universe to work, studios need to hire interesting directors to tackle the projects—like Taika Waititi for Thor: Ragnarok or Patty Jenkins for Wonder Woman. That’s exactly what happened with Annabelle: Creation. Director David F. Sandberg, who broke out with his debut feature Lights Out, tackles the second movie in the Annabelle series with old-fashioned scares and atmospheric tension that make it a tense experience from beginning to end. Instead of relying on sudden loud noises, the movie relishes in its imagery and the silences that add tension.
Annabelle: Creation is available to rent and buy on Amazon!
The Conjuring (2013)
Even five movies in, James Wan’s original The Conjuring remains the best movie in this franchise and one of the tentpoles of this new golden age of horror. Truly, The Conjuring holds up as a nearly pitch-perfect ghost story that treats its scares as fully thought-out set pieces—something that the franchise has strayed away from. It even arguably has one of the best horror set pieces in recent memory with the “hide and clap” scene (pictured above). However, the scenes connecting the scares are just as impressive. Unlike a lot of horror movies, The Conjuring actually develops its characters, specifically the Warrens. Even the scares are often character driven. There’s yet to be another movie in this franchise that has risen to this level. Granted, it set quite a bar.
The Conjuring is available to rent and buy on Amazon!
What do you think? How would you rank The Conjuring Universe films? Let us know in the comments!
Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.