How to Watch the Conjuring Movies in Order (Plus, Where to Watch)

Download Article

A complete watch guide to prep you for the franchise's final chapter

Co-authored by Klarissa Beckstead and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: September 29, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

Watching in Chronological Order

|

Release Order

|

Annabelle Movie Order

|

Where to Watch

|

The Franchise’s Future

|

FAQs

|

Video

The Conjuring franchise is nothing short of terrifying, and with The Conjuring: Last Rites in theaters starting September 5, you’re likely gearing up for your next thrilling scare. To prepare you for The Conjuring: Last Rites, we’ve put together this article to explain how to watch the Conjuring franchise, both in chronological and release order. That way, you’ll know everything you need to know about the freakily frightful film franchise ahead of the latest release (including the future of the series). Without further ado, let’s get into it.

All the Conjuring Films in Chronological Order

The Nun
Annabelle: Creation
The Nun II
Annabelle
The Conjuring
Annabelle Comes Home
The Conjuring II
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
The Conjuring: Last Rites

Section 1 of 6:

How to Watch the Conjuring Movies in Chronological Order

Download Article

The Nun (2018) is the origin story of one of The Conjuring’s most hellish demons, Valak, who first appeared in The Conjuring 2. Set in the 1300s briefly before heading to 1952 Romania, the film explains where Valak (played by Bonnie Aarons) first came from and how he was unleashed four centuries later. It sets the stage for the rest of the franchise, and is the first film to start with if you’re looking to watch chronologically.^{[1]
X
Research source}
Annabelle: Creation (2017) dives into the origin of the franchise’s iconic doll. The film briefly takes place in 1943 to explain the doll’s deadly origins before jumping to 1945, when Annabelle’s creator opens his home to a nun and six orphans when the local orphanage is shut down. One of these children is possessed by the doll, embarking on a killing spree and further developing the franchise.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Advertisement
Set in 1956 France, this sequel (which came out in 2023) follows the violent murder of a priest. When Sister Irene (played by Taissa Farmiga—The Conjuring's Vera Farmiga's real-life younger sister) from the first film and new character Debra (Storm Reid) investigate, they find a dark evil waiting for them in the form of the demon Valak.^{[3]
X
Research source}
This classic is one of the titans inThe Conjuring franchise. Set in 1967 Southern California, Annabelle (2014) takes place just before The Conjuring. In this film, a young doctor and his doll-collecting wife bring the Annabelle doll into their home, attracting a demon who won’t stop until it’s able to feast on one of their souls.^{[4]
X
Research source}
The Conjuring (2013), which is set in 1971 Rhode Island, follows Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively), two paranormal investigators who assist the Perron family when their home is attacked by the witch Bathsheba, who has been haunting the land since she sacrificed herself and her baby to the devil in 1863. This is the one that started it all, so sit back and try not to get too scared!^{[5]
X
Research source}
Set in 1972,Annabelle Comes Home (2019) is a quaint tale that takes place in the Warrens’ home. When their daughter, Judy Warren (played by Sterling Jerins), accidentally removes the Annabelle doll from her case, it wreaks havoc on the house.^{[6]
X
Research source}
7
The Curse of La Llorona The inclusion of this film in the franchise is highly debated, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention it!The Curse of La Llorona (2019) takes place in 1973, when a malevolent spirit from 1673 known as the Weeping Woman targets caseworker Anna Tate-Garcia (played by Linda Cardellini) and her children. The spirit’s presence leads Tate-Garcia to recruit former priest Rafael Olvera (played by Raymond Cruz) to help save her children.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- The only connection The Curse of La Llorona has to the Conjuring franchise is through cameos from the Annabelle doll and the priest, who appeared in Annabelle.
- But as The Curse of La Llorona's director, Michael Chaves (who also directed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, The Nun II, and The Conjuring: Last Rites), said, the movie isn't part of the franchise because it's the only Conjuring film not produced by Peter Safran.
The Conjuring II (2016) is where Valak makes a demonic return. Set in 1974 England, the Warrens investigate a house that is seemingly haunted by the spirit of an old man, only to realize that they are dealing with something far more malevolent. This entry shows the lengths the demon is willing to go to torment its prey, making for a terrifying thriller.^{[8]
X
Research source}
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) was inspired by the real-life 1981 trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who claimed a demonic possession caused him to murder his landlord. The Warrens take on the case out of guilt, as an exorcism they were witness to accidentally caused the demon to flee into Arne before the main events of the film.^{[9]
X
Research source}
The latest (and possibly final) entry in theConjuring franchise is inspired by the Smurl haunting in Western Pennsylvania, which the real-life Warrens investigated between 1974–1989. This terrifying case is the one that pushed Ed and Lorraine Warren away from hunting demons, making it a fitting final chapter in the Conjuring franchise.^{[10]
X
Research source}

Section 2 of 6:

How to Watch the Conjuring Movies in Release Order

Download Article

Start with The Conjuring and finish with The Conjuring: Last Rites. Watching the Conjuring films in release order is a fun way to watch if you don’t mind events unfolding a bit more suspensefully. Since you aren’t introduced to the origins of demons like Valak until The Nun (2018), the watching experience is much creepier and more mysterious. So, if you’re looking for a real scare, watch the movies in the following order:^{[11]
X
Research source}
- The Conjuring (2013)
- Annabelle (2014)
- The Conjuring II (2016)
- Annabelle: Creation (2017)
- The Nun (2018)
- The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
- Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
- The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
- The Nun II (2023)
- The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)

Section 3 of 6:

How to Watch the Annabelle Movies in Order

Download Article

1
Start chronologically with Annabelle: Creation and end with Annabelle Comes Home. The Annabelle doll is a staple in the Conjuring franchise (and real life), captivating fans when it was first possessed by murderous demons in Annabelle (2014). If you want to learn about the origins of the doll, how it haunted families in Santa Monica, and how it ended up in the Warrens’ possession, watch the movies in the following order:^{[12]
X
Research source}
- Annabelle: Creation (2017)
- Annabelle (2014)
- Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
2
For release order, start with Annabelle and end with Annabelle Comes Home. Annabelle took fans by storm during her silver screen debut in 2014, and her creepy, demonic antics held them to screens with a devilish grip. To see how the Annabelle doll captivated fans one movie at a time, watch it in the following order:^{[13]
X
Research source}
- Annabelle (2014)
- Annabelle: Creation (2017)
- Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

Section 4 of 6:

Where to Watch the Conjuring Movies

Download Article

Most of the Conjuring films are available on HBO Max. As of this the publication of this article, HBO Max is the hub for all movies in the Conjuring franchise, aside from The Conjuring: Last Rites, which isn't yet available for streaming. Catch it screening at a local theater near you when it releases on September 5, 2025.
- If you’re reading this a few months or more after the film's release, The Conjuring: Last Rites may be streaming on HBO Max.

Section 5 of 6:

The Future of the Conjuring Franchise

Download Article

The Conjuring: Last Rites may be the final film in the franchise, but nothing’s confirmed. Though there are rumorsLast Rites might be Ed and Lorraine’s last case, The Conjuring director and creator James Wan (who didn't direct Last Rites, but produced it) hasn’t confirmed anything, only alluding to the ending in an interview with Collider and talking about "potentially wrapping up [the Warren stories]": "We just want to make sure that it's the right thing, the right story that we're telling."^{[14]
X
Research source}
- Some Reddit fans speculate that the franchise will continue with new characters and new entities, just without the Warrens.

Section 6 of 6:

Frequently Asked Questions

Download Article

1
Do I need to watch The Nun before The Conjuring? No, you don’t need to watch The Nun before watching The Conjuring unless you want to see the franchise in chronological order. Since The Conjuring was the first film in the franchise, you don’t need to watch The Nun for any background information. You’ll be just fine starting with The Conjuring.
2
Is The Curse of La Llorona a part of the franchise? No, The Curse of La Llorona is not officially a part of The Conjuring franchise. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Michael Chaves (who directed The Curse of La Llorona, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, The Nun II, and The Conjuring: Last Rites) confirmed that, although Father Perez from Annabelle and the Annabelle doll make cameos in the film, it’s not connected to the franchise. “The idea was that [the Annabelle cameo] was going to be this little hidden thing that you discover as you watch the movie,” he said.^{[15]
X
Research source}
- Chaves explained, "One of the reasons that it couldn’t formally be a part of the Conjuring Universe is it didn't include one of the key producers, which is Peter Safran. The Conjuring is his baby, him and James, and they are still the two core producers on it."
3
Who are Ed and Lorraine Warren? Paranormal and Horror Content Creator Brittney Crabb says, “[They] were a husband and wife team of paranormal investigators and demonologists. Lorraine was also a clairvoyant and medium. And together they became world famous for investigating some of the most terrifying hauntings, including the Perron family haunting (The Conjuring), the Annabelle doll (Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation and Annabelle Comes Home), the Enfield poltergeist (The Conjuring 2) and the Smurl family haunting (The Conjuring: Last Rites).”^{[16]
X
Expert Source

Brittney Crabb
Paranormal and Horror Content Creator

Expert Interview}
- Ed and Lorraine were also connected to the infamous Amityville Horror haunting. The Amityville Horror refers to the series of paranormal phenomena that occurred in the 1970s when a family moved into a house in Amityville, New York, where a mass murder took place.^{[17]
  X
  Research source}
- The Enfield Poltergeist refers to a series of paranormal phenomena (and hoaxes) that occurred in the 1970s in a house in Enfield, London.^{[18]
  X
  Research source}
4
Were Ed or Lorraine involved in the making of The Conjuring movies? According to Crabb, “Yes! The real Lorraine Warren was involved in The Conjuring movies. Lorraine served as a consultant on the first Conjuring film in 2013 and she even appears in a cameo during a lecture scene. She also worked very closely with Vera Farmiga, who plays Lorraine, to really capture her personality and mannerisms. Ed Warren passed away in 2006 before the movies began, but his and Lorraine’s case files provided the basis for the stories. Lorraine passed away in 2019.”^{[19]
X
Expert Source

Brittney Crabb
Paranormal and Horror Content Creator

Expert Interview}
5
How many Conjuring movies are there? Technically, there are 9 movies in the Conjuring cinematic universe, but if you count The Curse of Llorona (even though it’s been confirmed to be separate from the original universe), there are 10 movies. The Conjuring: Last Rites is the latest film in the franchise.