You’ve just spent two hours gripped by your seat, watching Ed and Lorraine Warren battle a demonic entity in a Rhode Island farmhouse. The screen goes black. The music swells into something eerie and dissonant. Now you’re sitting there in the dark, wondering if you should stick around or beat the rush to the parking lot. Does The Conjuring have end credits scenes that you absolutely need to see?
Honestly, the short answer is no. There isn't a Marvel-style post-credits scene where a new demon pops out of a closet to tease the next movie. But that doesn’t mean the credits are empty space. If you walk out the second the names start rolling, you’re actually missing some of the most unsettling parts of the entire experience.
James Wan, the director who basically revitalized modern studio horror with this 2013 hit, handled the ending specifically. He didn't want a "stinger." Instead, he used the credit sequence to bridge the gap between the fictionalized movie and the terrifying reality of the Perron family.
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Why the Credits in The Conjuring Actually Matter
Most people think of credits as a grocery list of names. Key grips, best boys, catering companies. In The Conjuring, the credits serve as a documentary-style epilogue. While there isn't a narrative scene with the actors, the screen fills with real-life artifacts.
You see actual photos of the Perron family from the 1970s. You see news clippings. There are recordings and images of the real Ed and Lorraine Warren. Seeing the "real" Bathsheba or the actual house in Harrisville makes the jump scares you just witnessed feel a lot heavier. It shifts the vibe from "fun popcorn flick" to "this actually happened to people."
The music changes too. It transitions from Joseph Bishara’s jarring, experimental score into "In the Room Where You Sleep" by Dead Man’s Bones. It’s a tonal shift that lets the adrenaline drain out of you.
The Conjuring Universe and the Post-Credit Trend
It’s easy to get confused about whether does The Conjuring have end credits footage because the later movies in the franchise definitely do. Since the original 2013 film, the "Conjuring Universe" has grown into a massive web of sequels and spin-offs.
Take Annabelle: Creation, for example. That movie has two separate scenes during and after the credits. The Nun did it too, using a post-credit sequence to directly link the prequel back to the first Conjuring movie. Because these later films started acting like the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), many fans retroactively assume the first one has a hidden scene.
It doesn't.
Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema hadn't fully committed to the "Shared Universe" model when the first film was released. They knew they had a hit, but the idea of a 10-movie interconnected timeline was still in its infancy. They weren't planting seeds for The Crooked Man or The Devil Made Me Do It yet. They were just trying to tell a solid ghost story.
What You Miss if You Leave Early
Even without a "hidden" scene, staying through the credits offers a different kind of payoff.
- The Real-Life Evidence: As mentioned, the photos are the big draw. Seeing the real Carolyn Perron or the real Warrens working in their occult museum adds a layer of dread that a scripted scene couldn't match.
- A Final Scare?: While there isn't a new scene, many viewers report that the sound design in the final seconds of the credits includes subtle whispers or the sound of a music box. It’s not a "jump," but it’s definitely there to keep you creeped out until you reach your car.
- The Dedication: The film honors the work of the Warrens, specifically Ed, who passed away in 2006 before he could see his cases become global blockbusters.
If you’re watching at home, you might be tempted to just hit the "Home" button on your remote. Don't. Let the credits play. The contrast between the Hollywood actors (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) and the grainy, 1970s polaroids of the real people is arguably the spookiest part of the whole production.
Does the Sequel Change the Rules?
By the time The Conjuring 2 came out in 2016, the rules had shifted slightly. Again, there isn't a "scene" per se, but the credits are even more elaborate. They feature the actual audio recordings from the Enfield Poltergeist case. Hearing the real Janet Hodgson speaking in that deep, gravelly "Bill Wilkins" voice is significantly more terrifying than anything James Wan could have filmed with a stuntman.
So, if your question is specifically about the 2013 original, you can safely leave once the screen goes black without missing a plot point. But if you’re doing a marathon, be prepared to stick around for the sequels. They started leaning much harder into the "stay in your seat" culture.
Actionable Next Steps for Horror Fans
If you've just finished the movie and were looking for that extra bit of lore, here is how you should actually spend your next few minutes:
- Look up the "Arnold Estate": That’s the real name of the house in Harrisville, Rhode Island. The real history of the property is arguably darker than the movie suggests.
- Listen to the Enfield Tapes: Since The Conjuring doesn't have the audio, skip ahead to the credits of the second movie or find the recordings online. They are widely available and genuinely disturbing.
- Verify the "Bathsheba" Legend: Real historians have actually challenged the story of Bathsheba Sherman. If you want to sleep better tonight, looking into the local records might actually make the movie feel less "real" and more like a tall tale.
- Check the Spin-offs: If you were hoping for an end-credit scene to tell you what to watch next, the chronological next step is Annabelle, followed by The Conjuring 2.
The lack of a post-credit scene in the first film is actually a testament to its quality. It didn't need a gimmick to keep people talking. The story of the Perron family felt complete, even if the Warrens' filing cabinet was still full of other cases.