Warning: Spoilers Ahead!!
Just in time for the Halloween season, The Conjuring Universe has blessed (or possessed) horror
connoisseurs with another film. If you’re looking for a good thrill from this cinematic universe, but don’t
have 17 hours and 14 minutes to watch all nine films, you’re in the right place. I watched them so you
don’t have to!
As a horror fanatic, I’m no stranger to these films. I watched each of them as soon as they were
out in theaters. Although each film brings a unique story to the universe, they don’t all bring the same
level of terror. This list ranks the films from the least scary and the hardest watch, to the movie that had
me watching through my hands.
Here are my rankings from worst to best.
- The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
-
Sometimes the last one isn’t always the best one.
Although this latest movie provided a much-needed happy ending for the Warren family, it didn’t bring much else to the table besides stressing me out. For the entirety of the film, the Smurl family was walking around in darkness. It’s not like they didn’t own lights; they just had something against turning them on. But like, who goes into the basement without hitting the light switch? Diabolical in my opinion.
Not only did this movie lack light, but the plot of this movie felt very rushed and extremely slow at the same time. It felt like the movie was going nowhere until the very end, when they packed all the terror into the last twenty minutes of the film. Overall, this concluding movie to the series just had me more stressed than it did scared.
- Annabelle (2014)
-
Next up, we have the first Annabelle movie. Although I am absolutely scared of all things dolls, this movie just did not do it for me.
I enjoyed the real-world aspect of this film, particularly how it tied in the Manson Murders (love a good true crime mention). But overall, the film just lacked the fear aspect most horror fans are looking for. Although the Annabelle doll herself is horrifying to look at, the film didn’t utilize her well for the jump scares. Instead of being terrifying and frightening, she was just kind of off-putting throughout the entire film.
Side note: Who buys the world’s creepiest doll for their expecting wife? Like, you’re just asking for bad juju on your child before she’s even born.
- Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
-
Continuing with the Annabelle movies, up next on the ranking is Annabelle Comes Home. Although this
movie featured more frightening jump scares than its predecessor, it just felt kind of out of place
and unmemorable compared to the rest of the series. This film was critical for the development of Judy
Warren’s lore, which was further explained in later Conjuring movies. But other than that, this film just has no lasting impressions on me, which is why I rank it so low. A good film, but not necessarily something
I’d willingly rewatch. - The Nun II (2023)
-
The Nun II is where the tables start to turn in The Conjuring Universe, aka, where the horror movies start
to actually horrify me.Religious horror will do it for me almost every time — except for this one.
Although it’s a wonderfully made movie, with terrifying jump-scares and an eeriness that leaves you on
the edge of your seat the entire movie, it simply cannot live up to the original The Nun movie. The
plot of this film felt very repetitive of the first one, as if the directors were trying to milk all
they could out of Valak and her evil. Overall, a good movie; however, it just cannot compare to the
others that rank higher on this list. - The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
-
What can be scarier than paranormal activity? The answer to that question is the real-life consequences
that come along with possession and demons — a central theme of this Conjuring movie. This is the only
Conjuring movie that strays away from the “haunted house” narrative. Instead, it focuses on the real
consequences (murders) of possession, ultimately giving it a sense of terror that horror fans can
understand in a non-supernatural realm. - The Conjuring 2 (2016)
-
Moving on to the classic Conjuring movies, The Conjuring 2 is up next in our ranking. This film
has all the right elements of a perfect horror movie, plus an impressive cast. The setting of
the film, dreary England, creates a sense of eeriness and dread throughout the entirety of the film.
The acting of the Hodgson family and the Warrens portrays the paranormal experience and nervousness to
a T; even the family dog played its role incredibly well. The whole movie has you sitting on the edge of
your seat in nervous anticipation of the next jump scare. - The Conjuring (2013)
-
The true classic horror movie in this universe is, of course, the original, The Conjuring. Not only
is the movie a true staple for horror fans worldwide, but it is a cinematic masterpiece all around.With an eerie farmhouse atmosphere, the genuine fear of the family, and a blood-chilling soundtrack, had me jumping out of my seat. This horror movie not only terrifies you with the jump scares and demons, but the portrayal of the Perron family’s experience adds psychological dread and never-ending tension. While watching this movie, you not only see the horror on screen, but it is so perfectly executed that you feel it inside you, making it the third-best movie from the Universe.
- Annabelle: creation (2017)
-
This is the one Annabelle movie that feels like a true doll horror movie should. It provides the most gut-wrenching storyline that will have you burning all the dolls in your house before the movie is even over.
This movie feels much darker and more haunting than the other Annabelle movies. It leaves viewers
with a sense of inescapable fear and dread, just like how the girls in this movie were unable to escape the
haunting of the Annabelle doll, no matter how hard they tried. This film has a way of making you
feel uneasy before the terror even begins through scary settings such as the well early on in the film. It leaves the audience nervously anticipating what may happen in these locations later on. Overall, this film was beautifully executed, with the perfect cast to make audience members shake in fear. - The Nun (2018)
-
As I mentioned before: Religious. Horror. Does. It. For. Me. Every. Time.
The Nun is perhaps my favorite horror movie of all time, even outside of The Conjuring Universe. It is one that, no matter how many times I rewatch, will always have me watching half the film through my fingers while I cover my eyes in fear.
The movie starts with a scene straight out of my nightmares, and only gets scarier from there. It hits every single point and detail that a horror movie should cover, from a creepy setting to a demon that looks straight out of the depths of hell. This movie is simply THE horror movie.
It has the audience anticipating the worst. Even at the very last scene, the film creates a sense of despair that follows them out of the theatre, just like the malicious demonic entities that followed Frenchie and Sister Irene out of the church. This movie is the absolute must-watch of the Universe. But beware, it will leave you looking over your shoulder every time you pass a church.
Do you agree? Watch the movies and find out! Happy October!
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, watch us on TikTok, and read our latest Tweets!