Movie Monday: How to watch The Conjuring/Annabelle movies in chronological order

Laura McKenna is your gal for all things scary movies! Here’s how to watch The Conjuring movies in chronological order from beginning to now:

1. The Nun (released in 2018)

This movie came out five years after the first movie in the Conjuring series but if you’re watching chronologically, it makes sense to start with The Nun. The evil demon (in this case “The Nun”) first appears in The Conjuring 2 (from 2016) and was a big part of Annabelle: Creation (from 2017). This movie is set in Romania and tells the story of how the demonic nun, Valak, set things in motion.
This movie turns the Conjuring series into a real family affair: Sister Irene is played by Taissa Farmiga and is the real life little sister of Vera Farmiga (who plays Lorraine Warren in the Conjuring series).

2. Annabelle: Creation (released in 2017)

The Annabelle doll is a big part of the Conjuring series but this movie tells her origin tale. Hence the whole “creation” thing. Clever, huh? Annabelle first appears in the original Conjuring film. This movie is the prequel to the Annabelle (2014) film and explains how the sinister doll became possessed.
This one holds a special place in my scary movie heart because I had a movie date with my mom during one of her visits to see Annabelle: Creation at the theater. She’s always down for a scary movie, too. Remember when I took her to see Longlegs?

3. The Nun II (released in 2023)

This film is set four years after the first movie The Nun. Sister Irene is back after surviving the first The Nun movie and now teaches at a boarding school where she must save her students from Valak, yet again.

4. Annabelle (released in 2014)

Everyone loved the scary doll, Annabelle, so much that this movie was released just a year after the first Conjuring movie. At the beginning of The Conjuring (2013), you meet The Warrens (a real-life couple in which the series is based). Annabelle is based on a real doll they kept in their paranormal museum. This movie set in the ’60s, which acts as the prequel tale to The Conjuring, gives us even more of the background of the doll.
Although I like a lot of the movies in this series, Annabelle is my favorite. From the costuming to the plot, I just really enjoyed it.

5. The Conjuring (released in 2013)

Here we finally are at the beginning. This was the first movie released in the series. The storyline is based on a true story about The Perron family and their haunted Rhode Island farmhouse.
In a 2021 interview with Canada’s Global News, the Perrons’ daughter Andrea said, “Even though The Conjuring is an excellent film for what it is, it’s about 95 percent fiction and about five percent hard truth.”
Andrea even wrote the 2011 book House of Darkness: House of Light, which helped inspire the movie.
In the big screen version, The Warrens arrive to the Perron home initially for some unusual poltergeist activity and before long are battling major demonic possessions. The Conjuring is set in the early 70s.

6. Annabelle Comes Home (released in 2019)

This chronologically follows The Conjuring because The Warrens now have possession (no pun intended) of the Annabelle doll to start off the movie. Annabelle is safely behind glass in their paranormal museum home- or so they think. Mom and Dad Warren leave town for another paranormal investigation and hire a babysitter to watch their daughter. Before long, Annabelle breaks free and demons are summoned.
While I loved Annabelle, this follow-up is the corniest. I don’t hate it but it just gives off campy, teenage slumber party vibes.

7. The Curse of La Llorona (released in 2019)

This is a little bit of a stretch to say it’s a Conjuring movie but let’s add it in here just in case. You never know which recurring characters or demons we’ll see in upcoming movies in the series.
In this case, Father Perez was in Annabelle and he’s also in this movie based on the Mexican legend La Llorona.
It jumps back and forth between the 1600s and the 1970s.

8. The Conjuring 2 (released in 2016)

Just like the original The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 brings back Ed & Lorraine Warren and is based on another true story known as the Enfield Poltergeist case. In the movie version, the Valak demon is back and the Warrens must travel to London to save the family from possession.

9. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (released in 2021)

Here come The Warrens again to deal with another possession- this time of Arne Cheyenne Johnson. Another true story is the basis of this movie and you can read more about that one in the book The Devil in Connecticut by Gerald Brittle.
I actually haven’t seen this one yet. How did I miss it?

10. The Conjuring: Last Rites (released in 2025)

Our favorite paranormal investigators, Mr. & Mrs. Warren are back again. Thinking of hanging up the crosses and retiring from their demon hunting practice, The Warrens are called back to it to help another family.
I haven’t been to the movie theater to see this one but I’m seriously considering it! (And I’ll let you know when I do!)

Want to recommend a scary movie to Laura McKenna? Email anytime, she’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
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