The Conjuring Universe is the most successful horror franchise of all time, and its story isn’t over yet. Creator James Wan has confirmed the main series will soon conclude with The Conjuring: Last Rites, although the franchise will continue to live on in the form of a spinoff TV series and potential spinoff movies. For those who want to delve into the franchise before the next movie premieres, this guide will explain where and how to watch The Conjuring Universe in order using streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Max and more.
In 2013, the franchise began with The Conjuring. Every movie in the franchise is inspired by the purportedly true haunting cases documented by real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The first movie sees Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed (Patrick Wilson) investigate the Perron family, who believe their new farmhouse in Rhode Island may be haunted. It proved a major success at the box office and earned high praise from critics for the performances of Farmiga and Wilson, the jump scares, and the tense atmosphere crafted by director Wan.
The first film’s success soon led to The Conjuring 2 and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, with Farmiga and Wilson reprising their roles as Ed and Lorraine. The Conjuring 2 adapts the Enfield poltergeist case, while the third movie tackles the Arne Cheyenne Johnson murder investigation, which marked the first murder trial in U.S. history where a defendant claimed innocence due to demonic possession.
Both movies were successful commercially, though the third film’s departure from its haunted house formula drew mixed reviews. Since viewers couldn’t get enough of the Warrens' terrifying and allegedly true cases, the franchise soon created the Annabelle and The Nun film series. Annabelle fashions a horror story from an allegedly haunted Raggedy Ann doll found in the Warrens’ Occult Museum. Meanwhile, The Nun and its sequel, The Nun II, were loosely inspired by the Warrens’ reports of meeting a ghostly nun.
All of the Annabelle and Nun movies were commercial hits, demonstrating the enduring appeal of The Conjuring Universe with its blend of alleged truth and fiction and return to classic horror with haunted houses, dolls, and jump scares. Meanwhile, the end of The Nun II features a cameo from Farmiga and Wilson, teasing the movie’s connection to The Conjuring: Last Rites.
How to watch The Conjuring Universe in order
Viewers can watch The Conjuring Universe in either release date or chronological order. Chronological order may be preferable because it ensures viewers have context for certain cases mentioned in The Conjuring movies. However, chronological order can be complex, given that films like Annabelle: Creation occur across multiple years.
For this article, we have listed the movies chronologically based on the most prominent year featured in each film. For example, although Annabelle: Creation starts in 1943, the majority of the movie takes place in 1955, resulting in the film coming after The Nun, which takes place in 1952. Here is the chronological order:
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The Nun
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Annabelle: Creation
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The Nun II
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Annabelle
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Annabelle Comes Home
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The Conjuring
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The Conjuring 2
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The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Alternatively, one can also stream The Conjuring films in the release date order detailed below. Read on to find out where to watch every entry in this franchise online in the United States.
