The Conjuring Timeline: How to Watch All 10 Movies in Order

So here’s the thing: The Conjuring Universe has grown into a sprawling horror franchise with prequels, sequels, and spin-offs—and the timeline is about as straightforward as a demonic possession. The saga now spans ten films (well, sort of. It’s really nine films with a cameo that connects number seven) that also make for a fantastic October movie marathon. So if you want to binge in story order (and catch all the lore threads), here’s your roadmap.

Below is a guide to watching all 10 Conjuring Universe films in chronological order — from demon nuns to cursed dolls to courtroom exorcisms. Let’s start at the beginning and end at what’s (for now) the final chapter. I say for now because it’s unclear if we’ll see any more spin-offs. Last Rites, however, is the last time we’ll see Ed and Loraine Warren on the big screen. HBO has announced a Conjuring show will be brought to Max at some point but details are scarce.

1. The Nun (2018) — 1952

We open in Romania in 1952, where a priest and a novitiate investigate a nun’s suicide—and instead find the demon Valak in nun form. The Nun gives us the origin of one of the franchise’s most iconic villains (and yes, this is where the Valak story begins). It’s worth noting that unlike The Conjuring and its sequels, this film isn’t based on any real events. Fun fact: A year prior to this movie’s release I happened to be on a Romanian road trip and visited the castle used in the exteriors. And yes, it is as cool and creepy as it looks in the film.

2. Annabelle: Creation (2017) — 1955

Next up, Annabelle: Creation happens in California, 1955. We learn how the doll became possessed via a grieving dollmaker’s family and a group of orphan girls. The haunted-objects mythology in the Conjuring universe really starts expanding here.

3. The Nun II (2023) — 1956

Jump a few years forward. The Nun II relocates the horror to France, where Sister Irene (survivor of the first Nun) must face Valak again in a boarding school setting. It deepens Valak’s presence in the world and ties more tightly into the lore.

4. Annabelle (2014) — 1967

Now we arrive at Annabelle (second film released in The Conjuring series). In 1967, a couple unwittingly bring a possessed doll into their home. This film is the bridge between the spin-offs and the main Conjuring storyline, setting up references the Warrens later deal with.

5. The Conjuring (2013) — 1971

The heart of the universe. The Conjuring introduces Ed and Lorraine Warren and dramatizes their investigation of the Perron family in Rhode Island. It’s classic haunted-house horror, emotionally grounded, and it cements the Warren legacy in the universe’s lore.

6. Annabelle Comes Home (2019) — 1972

One year later, the Warrens lock away Annabelle and other cursed items in their secret artifact room. Naturally, Annabelle escapes and unleashes several paranormal horrors in the house while Ed and Lorraine are away. This film ties many threads together and brings the spin-off demons into the main house.

7. The Curse of La Llorona (2019) — 1973

This is more of a side story. La Llorona –– Inspired by Latin American folklore of “La Llorona” (“The Weeping Woman”) — a ghost said to drown children and haunt rivers –– is loosely tied via Father Perez, who pops up in the Annabelle films. Otherwise, the Warrens don’t appear. But if you’re watching everything, it slots here in the 1970s era of the timeline.

8. The Conjuring 2 (2016) — 1977

Back to the Warrens in London, tackling the Enfield Poltergeist case. Conjuring 2 is where Valak resurfaces in full force, connecting the demon’s origin in The Nun with the Warrens’ story. It’s probably one of if not the best film of the entire franchise outside of the first Conjuring.

9. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) — 1981

Now things shift gears. This film blends supernatural horror with courtroom drama. Based on a real 1981 case, it follows a defendant claiming demonic possession as his defense for murder. Ed and Lorraine must dig into occult forces to defend him.

10. The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) — 1986

The newest (and supposedly final) entry, The Conjuring: Last Rites, takes place in 1986, five years after The Devil Made Me Do It. It’s based on the Smurl family haunting case in Pennsylvania, where the Warrens investigate a highly intense, multi-spirit demonic presence. The film is a bit derivative and the climax was a bit, well, anticlimactic, but it’s a good send off for the Warrens. I give it a full review here.

This film is billed as “the case that ended it all” (in the current Warren phase) and aims to close many of the thematic arcs.

Final Thoughts

Last Rites completes a compelling horror arc—from demon nuns in abbeys, cursed dolls, haunted houses, to courtroom exorcisms, and finally an all-out demonic siege in Last Rites. Watching in this order helps you see how Valak’s influence evolves, how Annabelle’s curse weaves into the artifact room, and how Ed and Lorraine’s mission escalates to its ultimate test.

One caveat: La Llorona is still optional in terms of narrative payoff—but it adds flavor. And of course, studios always leave wiggle room for future installments, so who knows what hidden epilogue might be waiting. After The Conjuring II, for example, there were talks of giving The Crooked Man his own film, though that seems more and more unlikely as time goes on.

So dim your lights (or don’t), brace for the jump scares, and enjoy the definitive Conjuring saga in chronological order. If a painting moves, you know the drill.