Summary:
- The Conjuring: Last Rites is out in theaters and acts as the conclusion to the Conjuring movies.
- However, the Conjuring Universe is much more than the four Conjuring movies.
- So, here’s the ultimate Conjuring watch order guide for all the movies in chronological and release date order.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is finally out and serves as the final Conjuring movie. The Conjuring universe began almost 10 years ago with the release of The Conjuring in 2013. Since then, the universe has expanded into different territories. The Conjuring Universe centers on the adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren, self-taught paranormal investigators. So, here is the ultimate watch order guide to The Conjuring Universe – by release date and chronologically.
Table of Contents
How Many Conjuring Movies are There
There are a total of 10 movies set in The Conjuring Universe, including The Conjuring: Last Rites. However, this count may differ based on what’s canon and what’s not. We will break down what’s canon and what’s not in The Conjuring Universe.
The Conjuring Movies in Chronological Order
1. The Nun (2018)
- IMDb rating: 5.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 24% (Tomatometer) & 35% (Popcornmeter)
- Runtime: 1h 36m
- In-universe year: 1952
The Nun, aka Valak, was first teased in The Conjuring 2. The Nun gives us an introduction to the character of the evil nun, Valak and how she came to be. We find out that Valak was a fallen angel who became evil after rebelling against God. It specifically took the form of a demonic nun to corrupt faith.
The plot follows Father Burke with Sister Irene, sent by the Vatican to investigate. While the movie doesn’t focus on the Warrens, the ending fast-forwards to 20 years later, giving us a peek into how the Warrens came in contact with Valak.
2. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
- IMDb rating: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 70% (Tomatometer) & 68% (Popcornmeter)
- Runtime: 1h 49m
- In-universe year: 1955
Annabelle: Creation acts as a direct prequel to Annabelle and even ends by setting up the beginning of the first film. The story begins with the Mullins losing their daughter, Annabelle “Bee” Mullin, in a car accident. They pray for a way to communicate with their daughter. A demon responds, pretending to be Bee and convincing the Mullins to inhabit Bee’s old porcelain doll.
However, the moment the Mullins find out about the evil spirit, they lock it away. What follows is an orphan doll finding the doll and reawakening the evil spirit. This is what directly ties into the first Annabelle movie. In contrast to the first two Conjuring movies, the Annabelle movies are purely fictional.
3. The Nun II (2023)
- IMDb rating: 5.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 51% (Tomatometer) & 72% (Popcornmeter)
- Runtime: 1h 50m
- In-universe year: 1956
The last entry in the Conjuring universe you need to watch before The Conjuring: Last Rites is the sequel to The Nun. Set in 1956, yet again, the movie begins with the mysterious murder of a priest. Sister Irene returns from the first movie to yet again face the demon nun, Valak.
Interestingly enough, Sister Irene’s character is played by Taissa Farmiga, who is the real-life sister of Vera Farmiga, the actress behind Lorraine Warren in the main Conjuring series. That said, the two share more than just family ties on-screen (wink wink).
4. Annabelle (2014)
- IMDb rating: 5.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 28% (Tomatometer) & 35% (Popcornmeter)
- Runtime: 1h 38m
- In-universe year: 1967
The eerie Annabelle doll is teased in the first Conjuring movie itself, as we see the Annabelle doll in possession of the Warrens. The story begins with John finding the perfect gift for his wife, Mia, who’s expecting: enter Anabelle. However, things take a drastic turn when devil worshippers enter the couple’s house. They then etch a bloody rune on the nursery wall and drip blood on Mia’s doll, which leads to Anabelle becoming a conduit for evil.
5. The Conjuring (2013)
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 86% (Tomatometer) & 83% (Popcornmeter)
- Runtime: 1h 52m
- In-universe year: 1970
The Conjuring is what paved the path for the Conjuring Universe and is often the first movie that comes to anyone’s mind when thinking of the best horror movie. Directed by James Wan, the plot focuses on Roger and Carolyn, who have recently moved into a secluded farmhouse with their four daughters.
Everything seems fine at first; however, surreal events start taking place as they continue living there. Their pictures start falling, and all clocks in the house stop at exactly 3:07 a.m. Things take an even darker turn as the movie continues, which prompts the family to call the Warrens to investigate.
6. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
- IMDb rating: 5.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 64% (Tomatometer) & 70% (Popcornmeter)
- Runtime: 1h 46m
- In-universe year: 1972
The Annabelle Comes Home plot focuses on the Warrens’ possessed artifacts room. Despite being locked up in the room, the doll ends up awakening the other evil spirits in the room, who end up targeting the Warrens’ ten-year-old daughter, Judy, along with her friends. Similar to the other Annabelle movies, Annabelle Comes Home is not based on a true story but is a fun haunted sequel.
7. The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
- IMDb rating: 5.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 26% (Tomatometer) & 35% (Popcornmeter)
- Runtime: 1h 33m
- In-universe year: 1973
The Curse of La Llorona isn’t exactly canon to the Conjuring universe. However, it does feature a cameo by Father Perez holding the Annabelle doll. When asked by the director, Michael Chaves simply stated that the cameo is just a fun Easter egg you get to see.
The movie, however, is not part of the Conjuring universe since Peter Safran is not involved with it. The director further stated how the Conjuring universe is the brainchild of Safran and James Wan, which is why this movie is not set in the same universe.
8. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
- IMDb rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 80% (Tomatometer) & 82% (Popcornmeter)
- Runtime: 2h 14m
- In-universe year: 1977
Set 10 years after the events of Annabelle, The Conjuring 2 focuses on the Warrens coming out of a self-imposed sabbatical to help a single mother, Peggy Hodgson. The mother tells the Warrens how her daughter is being plagued by an evil spirit. What follows is the Warrens dealing with one of the hardest cases of their lifetime. The story is based on true events of the Enfield Poltergeist.
9. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
- IMDb rating: 6.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 56% (Tomatometer) & 83% (Popcornmeter)
- Runtime: 1h 52m
- In-universe year: 1981
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It takes a different angle on the horror genre. Based on real-life events, the movie asks, can demonic possession be used as a viable argument for a murder defense? A cop finds Arne Cheyenne Johnson, a young man covered in blood, walking down the road, in a daze.
He is accused of murdering his landlord. However, he pleads innocent owing to demonic possession and this is where the Warrens come in and the plot takes a sharp turn.
10. The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
- IMDb rating: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 54% (Tomatometer) & 77% (Popcornmeter)
- Runtime: 2h 15m
- In-universe year: 1986
Finally, after binge-watching nine movies, you are ready to witness the last Conjuring movie. Set in 1986, the Warrens take up the Smurl haunting investigation, which is the last case the Warrens ever took up. Michael Chaves, the director of The Nun II and The Conjuring 3, returns to direct.
Last Rites is confirmed to be the final Conjuring movie. However, the Conjuring universe will continue to expand with more spooky and haunting stories down the line. A Conjuring TV show is being actively developed for HBO Max. However, it is still in the early stages of development, and no details have been revealed.
The Conjuring Movies in Release Order
The Conjuring Universe has ten movies, and each movie is set in a different year. So, if you’re planning to watch the movies in the actual order they take place in-universe, here’s the order:
- The Conjuring (2013)
- Annabelle (2014)
- The Conjuring 2 (2016)
- Annabelle: Creation (2017)
- The Nun (2018)
- Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
- The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
- The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
- The Nun II (2023)
- The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
Should You Watch Other Conjuring Movies Before Watching Conjuring: Last Rites
No, you need to watch at least the first three Conjuring movies to understand what’s happening in Last Rites. If you’re running short on time, you can just watch the first Conjuring movie, which is the best one and gives you an understanding of the Warrens’ family dynamic.
It is important to understand the Warren family dynamic since that comes into play in Last Rites. However, if you plan to watch Last Rites without watching any of the other Conjuring movies in order, you can do that too, but you will be missing out on a lot of story details.
