The Correct Order To Watch The Entire Conjuring Franchise
Move over, Marvel: The Conjuring Universe is the greatest modern cinematic universe.
The quality has been consistent. The mythology is complex without being confusing. The heroic human leads are among the finest horror protagonists of the 21st century so far. The demonic villains are often truly unsettling and despicable. Every chapter in the franchise has enriched what came before while setting the stage for what comes next. You think superhero fans have been eating well at the pop culture buffet? Horror fans have had it even better.
And now that there are eight films in the Conjuring Universe (or nine, depending on what you consider canon), some casual viewers or newcomers may have questions. After all, entering any ongoing film series can be a tricky proposition. Do you start with the best of the bunch and then pick and choose from there? Do you watch them all in release order? Or, in the case of something as timeline-happy as the Conjuring Universe, do you watch them in chronological order of the events that actually happen on screen?
The good news is that there's a very simple answer to this question.
The one right way to watch a Conjuring
Don't let anyone else tell you differently: The best and only way to properly watch and enjoy the Conjuring Universe is in order of release.
That means starting with 2013's "The Conjuring," continuing with the first spin-off film, 2014's "Annabelle," returning to the core series with 2016's "The Conjuring 2," bouncing back to that creepy doll with 2017's "Annabelle: Creation," meeting a new foe with 2018's "The Nun," reuniting with Annabelle in 2019's "Annabelle Comes Home," catching up with the Warrens in 2021's "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it," and then, finally, checking out 2023's "The Nun II."
(2019's "The Curse of La Llorona" remains an enigma — it features a direct reference to Conjuring Universe characters and events, but those steering the larger franchise insist it's not part of the proper canon. Whether you choose to watch it or not is up to you. It's not essential either way.)
Yes, this seems obvious. Yes, you may have read this article hoping for some kind of clever viewing order, kind of like how some people think you should watch the first two "Star Wars" films, pause to watch the prequel trilogy as a flashback, and then finish the original trilogy. But unlike some ongoing series, the Conjuring Universe feels very carefully planned. The reveals and twists, both major and minor, come at just the right time to illuminate what came before.
The Warrens of it all
Could you watch the Conjuring Universe in chronological order? Sure. That would mean starting with "The Nun," which takes place in 1952, and continuing with "The Nun II," which is set four years later. You'd then have to watch "Annabelle: Creation" before you watch "Annabelle," and then, after those four films, you could finally watch "The Conjuring," which is set in 1971.
But that would be a mistake. This whole universe works because of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), the husband and wife paranormal researchers who anchor the first film and give the franchise its whole "mom and dad are here to save the day" energy. Even the best of the spin-offs don't have the unusual emotional pull of the core "Conjuring" films, which are just as much about how much these two love each other as they are scary horror movies.
By meeting the Warrens first, the rest of the series can't help but feel the impact. The villain-centric spin-offs take on additional meaning and power when you know that they will eventually collide with these good-hearted, noble people who have dedicated their lives to fighting evil. Ed and Lorraine taint the whole series with their goodness, their earnestness. Meeting them first, and knowing that it all comes back to them, makes every spin-off tangent feel worthwhile.
It's supposed to be this way
Even if you put aside the emotion of it all, the Conjuring Universe is just built to be experienced in release order. "Annabelle" and its sequels are more thrilling if you got the doll's proper introduction in "The Conjuring." The nature of the demon Valak is more intriguing if you saw its introduction in "The Conjuring 2" first. Heck, the whole series has been orbiting around a major event, the exorcism of a key character, that is introduced in the first film and teased throughout several spin-offs.
The slow drip of details is most effective when viewed in production order. The fact that you only learn what's going on by literally jumping across decades of time, globetrotting with several ensembles of characters, makes you feel like a proper investigator, learning things like the Warrens themselves do. It's one of the series' greatest charms — everything is unveiled at its own pace, and you are allowed to play along.
However, every Conjuring Universe film really does stand alone. You could easily enjoy "The Nun II" without seeing "The Nun," for instance. Each film is wholly accessible, and lets you know what you need to know. This is the lesson so many cinematic universes failed to learn: It's not the complexity that brings in the faithful, but the storytelling and the characters. You only detect the little complexities of the Conjuring Universe if you watch them in order, but those complexities remain non-essential for folks just looking for a good movie. But if you want to get the full experience? Take note. There's only one way to do it right.