Every ‘Conjuring’ Universe Movie Ranked, According to Rotten Tomatoes

The Conjuring franchise has been going strong for over a decade. With multiple sequels and spin-off films, the franchise skillfully mixes true and fictitious stories in a manner that feels cohesive. Although the fourth Conjuring film, The Conjuring: Last Rites, looks to be the final film in the main Conjuring franchise, there is still potential for spin-offs in the future, such as a long-awaited film about the Crooked Man.

Although the franchise continues to put out a new release every one to two years, the quality of the films has varied. From overwhelmingly positive reviews to disappointingly negative, there is a massive dip in quality within each film in the franchise, according to critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite varying reviews, the Conjuring franchise continues to be one of the biggest horror franchises of all time with no plans of stopping soon.

10

‘The Nun’ (2018) – 24%

The Nun is the second spin-off film based on a demon from The Conjuring 2. The film takes place in 1952, and follows a priest, played by Demian Bichir, and a young novitiate Sister Irene, played by Taissa Farmiga, who venture to Romania to investigate the death of a nun. Upon their arrival, they encounter a demonic presence who takes the form of a nun.

‘The Nun’ Was a Major Disappointment

After making a substantial impact in The Conjuring 2, a spin-off film based on the Nun was fast-tracked by Warner Bros. As well as the story being written by James Wan, there was a ton of hype about how a Nun-centered movie would turn out, but sadly, it did not live up to high expectations. Currently ranking as the lowest in the Conjuring franchise, the film received 24% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, with reviews pointing out the film’s inconsistent logic and an overreliance on jump scares. Although it received poor reviews from critics and audiences, the film made over $360 million on a $20 million budget, which led to an eventual sequel.

9

‘The Curse of La Llorona’ (2019) – 26%

The Curse of La Llorona stands as an outlier to the Conjuring franchise as it doesn’t have many connections to the main Conjuring films besides the appearance of Father Perez, played by Tony Amendola. Taking place in the 70s, the film follows a social worker and her two kids who become haunted by the La Llorona demon after ignoring warnings from a troubled mother. The family seek the help of a priest, who relies on mysticism to get rid of any evil spirits.

‘The Curse of La Llorona’ Introduced Michael Chaves to the ‘Conjuring’ Universe

Although produced by James Wan, The Curse of La Llorona failed to reach the acclaim of his prior Conjuring films, scoring 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite receiving some of the worst reviews of the franchise, director Michael Chaves went on to become one of the leading filmmakers behind the Conjuring franchise, going on to direct two Conjuring films as well as The Nun II. If The Curse of La Llorona did anything, it brought Chaves on the map as a modern horror filmmaker.

8

‘Annabelle’ (2014) – 28%

Annabelle is the first spin-off in the Conjuring universe after her brief appearance in The Conjuring. The film follows a pregnant woman and her husband, played by Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton, who experience a terrifying break-in by devil worshipers. After they get their blood on a children’s doll gifted by the husband, the couple start to experience supernatural occurrences involving the doll.

The Spin-Offs Don’t Work Nearly as Well

Annabelle was the start of the studio’s obsession with horror spin-offs, and it did not start off great. The film received a 28% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, which is a huge drop from its predecessor. Critics found the film to lack originality and garner cheap jump scares. Annabelle is one of many examples in this universe that prove the spin-off films don’t work nearly as well as the main Conjuring films. While the sequels to the spin-offs found better reception, they never matched what the main Conjuring films offered audiences.

7

‘The Nun II’ (2023) – 51%

The Nun II is the inevitable sequel to the first film that saw a bigger budget and larger ambition. Taking place four years after the events of the first film, it once again follows Sister Irene as she travels to France after hearing of a violent murder against a priest. On her investigation, she learns that the being behind the murder is Valak, the same demonic nun that she defeated in the previous films.

‘The Nun II’ Is a Step-Up From the First Film

The Nun II may have received better reviews than its predecessor, but still had mixed reactions from critics. The film scored 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews pointing out how it is scarier than the original film, but lacks the originality to make it stand out. Although the film wasn’t as successful at the box office as the original, it still made a profit for the studio, scoring $269 million worldwide on a $38 million budget. There are no current plans for a third movie in The Nun series, but with the excellent box office performance of both films, a sequel could be very much in the cards for the studio.

6

‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ (2025) – 53%

The Conjuring: Last Rites stands as the last film in the main Conjuring series starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. Acting as a direct sequel to The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, the film follows Ed and Lorraine Warren as they take on what is called “their most disturbing case to date” according to the IMDb plot summary. It sees the Smurl family become terrorized by a demonic spirit after buying a haunted mirror.

‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Is a Satisfying Conclusion for Ed and Lorraine Warren

Early reviews for The Conjuring: Last Rites look to be positive, scoring 53% on Rotten Tomatoes after 80 critic reviews at time of writing. Critics pointed out how the film is a satisfying close for Ed and Lorraine Warren by going back to the roots of the original film by focusing on family. Some have also pointed out that it is far more bloody than previous offerings in the franchise, giving the film a distinct edge. Although it is unsure if Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are fully done with the characters, it is confirmed that The Conjuring: Last Rites is the final film with the two of them in the lead roles.

5

‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ (2021) – 56%

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is the third film in the main set of Conjuring films as well as Michael Chaves’ second directing outing in the Conjuring universe. The film follows Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who investigate the murder of a landlord after the accused murderer claims demon possession as his defense.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga Bring Humanity to the ‘Conjuring’ Universe

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is one of the lowest rated movies among the main Conjuring films, but still received mixed-positive scores from critics. The film received 56% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics pointing out a disappointing execution of its interesting premise. However, critics found that Wilson and Farmiga to deliver excellent and believable performances as the protagonists, making the film far more watchable than others in the series. The film may not have received the best scores of the franchise, but Wilson and Farmiga once again show their reliability as performers.

4

‘Annabelle Comes Home’ (2019) – 64%

Annabelle Comes Home stands as the third film in the Annabelle trilogy as well as the first Annabelle film to include Ed and Lorraine Warren. The film follows Ed and Lorraine’s daughter, Judy, as she accidentally awakens the Annabelle doll with her friend and babysitter at the Warren house. Annabelle eventually awakens the other evil spirits in the house, causing terror and chaos for Judy and everyone else in the house.

‘Annabelle Comes Home’ Is a Fun Time

Annabelle Comes Home has mostly positive reviews from critics, with 64% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although critics were disappointed in the amount of screen time given to Ed and Lorraine Warren, they overall enjoyed the haunted house atmosphere and entertaining horror sequences, even if they didn’t find the film as scary as previous films in the franchise.

3

‘Annabelle: Creation’ (2017) – 70%

Annabelle: Creation acts as a prequel to the first Annabelle film, exploring the origins of the doll even further. The film follows a nun and several orphaned girls who move into a dollmaker’s house after their orphanage closed down. The girls eventually become the target for the dollmaker’s demonic creation, which turns out to be Annabelle.

David F. Sandberg Made Annabelle Scary Again

Annabelle: Creation received far better acclaim than the original film, scoring 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the highest rated films of the entire franchise. Critics pointed out the tension-building and bump-in-the-night storyline as many of the film’s highlights. The film was also enjoyed by casual audiences, scoring a 68% on the Popcorn meter on Rotten Tomatoes, which is also one of the highest ratings for a Conjuring film.

2

‘The Conjuring 2’ (2016) – 80%

The Conjuring 2 is the second film following Ed and Lorraine Warren as well as the second film in the franchise directed by James Wan. The film is based on a true story that follows the Warrens as they head to a borough in London to investigate a demon that may have possessed a young girl. Although the police believe the girl is faking the possession, the Warrens find out that the demon isn’t only out to get the girl, but out to get them as well.

James Wan Is a Modern Master of Horror

James Wan continued his success in directing horror with The Conjuring 2. The film earned a certified fresh rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics pointing out Wan’s skill as a director as one of the film’s many highlights as well as moments of levy between Ed and Lorraine giving the film a beating heart. With this film, as well as his work on Insidious and Saw, James Was proved that he is a modern master of horror.

1

‘The Conjuring’ (2013) – 86%

The Conjuring is based on the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s experience investigating a demon that is haunting a family at a farm house in Rhode Island. After the mother of the family contacts Ed and Lorraine to examine the house, they discover that the entire area is affected by the haunting, and that the demon is targeting the family no matter where they go.

‘The Conjuring’ Was a Major Success

The Conjuring was an immediate success for the studio. Not only was the film scoring great reviews, earning an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it became a major box office success for its time. The film earned twice its budget in its domestic opening weekend alone, but eventually went on to make 16 times its budget at the worldwide box office. Not only was this a huge success for the filmmakers and studios, but it was the start of what would eventually become the highest grossing horror franchise of all time.