You’re sitting there with the lights off, popcorn getting cold, and you realize you have no idea if you should be watching the creepy doll movie first or the one with the tall nun. It’s a mess. Honestly, the The Conjuring movies in order can feel like a giant jigsaw puzzle where half the pieces are hidden under the couch. Since 2013, James Wan and his team at Atomic Monster have built a massive "Conjur-verse" that doesn't follow a straight line. It jumps from the 1950s to the 1970s and back again faster than a spirit can slam a door.
If you watch them as they hit theaters, you're looking at the Release Date order. If you want the actual history of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s fictionalized hauntings, you need the Chronological order. Most people get this wrong because they assume The Conjuring is the beginning. It isn't. Not even close.
Why the Timeline is Actually Pretty Messy
The franchise started with a bang in 2013, but the creators immediately realized they had a goldmine in the "Easter eggs" hidden in the Warrens' occult museum. That’s why we got a prequel about Annabelle just a year later.
The problem? They didn't stop there.
They went way back to 1952 for The Nun, then skipped to the late 60s, then back to the 70s. If you aren't paying attention to the dates flashed on the screen, you’ll miss the subtle ways Valak or Annabelle are tethered to the Warrens. It’s not just about jumpscares; it’s about a massive, interconnected web of demonic influence that supposedly spans decades of "true" paranormal investigations.
Watching The Conjuring Movies in Order: The Chronological Timeline
If you want to see the evil evolve from its earliest roots to the "modern" era of the 1980s, this is your path. It starts in Romania and ends with a messy court case in Connecticut.
1. The Nun (Set in 1952)
This is the literal ground zero. We head to the Abbey of St. Carta in Romania. It’s gothic, it’s foggy, and it introduces Valak. While the movie itself got mixed reviews, its importance to the The Conjuring movies in order is massive because it explains exactly where that terrifying nun-demon came from. You see the "blood of Christ" used as a weapon, and you get a very specific link to the Warrens at the very end of the film involving a character named Frenchie (Maurice).
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2. The Nun II (Set in 1956)
A few years after the first incident, the evil hasn't stayed in Romania. It’s migrated to a boarding school in France. Sister Irene returns, and we see more of Valak’s origin story. This sequel does a much better job of bridging the gap between the ancient demonic entities and the localized hauntings we see later in the series.
3. Annabelle: Creation (Set in 1958)
Don't let the title fool you—this is the second Annabelle movie made, but the first one in the timeline. We see a grieving dollmaker and his wife who, in a moment of desperate weakness, invite something "other" into their home to represent their deceased daughter. Big mistake. Huge. This film is arguably the scariest of the Annabelle trilogy and sets the stage for the doll’s journey to the Higgins family.
4. Annabelle (Set in 1967)
We’re finally in the late sixties. A young couple, John and Mia Form, get their hands on the doll right before a cult attack happens next door. This leads directly into the events that eventually bring the doll to the attention of the Warrens.
5. The Conjuring (Set in 1971)
The movie that started it all. This is where we meet Ed and Lorraine Warren as they help the Perron family in Rhode Island. Even though it's fifth in the timeline, it feels like the anchor. We see the "Clap and Hide" game, the terrifying basement, and the legendary Bathsheba. It’s a masterpiece of tension.
6. Annabelle Comes Home (Set in 1972)
This one is weird. It takes place almost entirely inside the Warrens' artifact room. It technically starts right after the opening of the first Conjuring movie when the Warrens take the doll from the nursing students, but the bulk of the story happens while they are away on another case. It’s basically Night at the Museum but with demons.
7. The Curse of La Llorona (Set in 1973)
There is a lot of debate about whether this "counts." Director Michael Chaves has gone back and forth on its official status in the canon, but Father Perez appears in this movie and mentions his encounter with Annabelle. That’s enough for most fans to slot it in here. It follows a social worker in Los Angeles dealing with the "Weeping Woman."
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8. The Conjuring 2 (Set in 1977)
The Enfield Poltergeist. We head to the UK for a very snowy, very loud haunting. This is where the Valak/Nun storyline from the first two chronologically-placed movies finally pays off in a big way for the Warrens. It’s also where we meet The Crooked Man, a character who still hasn't received his own spin-off yet (sadly).
9. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (Set in 1981)
The most recent mainline entry moves away from haunted houses and into the courtroom. It follows the real-life trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, the first person in US history to claim demonic possession as a defense for murder. It’s a bit of a departure in style, feeling more like a detective thriller than a traditional ghost story.
The Release Date Order: The Way Most People Saw It
Sometimes, you just want to experience the franchise the way the world did. There’s something to be said for the mystery of seeing The Conjuring first and then slowly uncovering the backstories.
- The Conjuring (2013)
- Annabelle (2014)
- The Conjuring 2 (2016)
- Annabelle: Creation (2017)
- The Nun (2018)
- The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
- Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
- The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
- The Nun II (2023)
The Reality of the "True Story" Claims
Look, the marketing always leans heavily on the "Based on the True Case Files of Ed and Lorraine Warren" angle. It works. It makes the hair on your arms stand up. But we have to be honest here—Hollywood takes massive liberties.
The real Perron family (from the first movie) actually stayed in that house for ten years, not just a few weeks of terror. They’ve stated in interviews, particularly Andrea Perron, that the movie is a "mosaic" of the truth. The real Annabelle doll? It’s not a terrifying porcelain nightmare. It’s a Raggedy Ann doll. Somehow, that’s almost creepier because it looks so innocent.
Lorraine Warren was a consultant on the early films until her passing in 2019. She always maintained that what they experienced was real, though skeptics like Joe Nickell have spent decades debunking their claims. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, the Warrens' influence on modern horror is undeniable. They turned ghost hunting into a brand.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Valak
People often think Valak is just "The Nun." Actually, in demonology (specifically the Lesser Key of Solomon), Valak is described as a high president of hell who often appears as a small child with angel wings riding a two-headed dragon. James Wan decided to make the demon manifest as a nun specifically to attack Lorraine Warren’s faith. It was a creative choice for the movies, not a "factual" representation of the myth.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Binge Watch
If you're planning to tackle The Conjuring movies in order, don't just hit play. Do it right.
First, decide on your "Canon." If you're a purist, skip La Llorona. It doesn't add much to the core Warren narrative. Second, if you want the most emotional impact, watch the three mainline Conjuring movies first, then go back for the spin-offs. The spin-offs provide context, but the chemistry between Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson is the heart of the whole thing. Without them, it's just a bunch of stuff jumping out of corners.
Keep an eye out for the recurring props. The music box from the first film shows up in several other places. The "artifact room" in the Warrens' house is basically a museum of all the spin-offs that haven't been made yet. There’s a samurai suit and a creepy television that definitely feel like they’re waiting for their own 1950s-set origin story.
Finally, check the "Year" stamps at the start of each film. If you're doing the chronological run, keep a notepad. It’s easy to get 1952 and 1958 mixed up when everything is shot in that same desaturated, sepia-toned horror aesthetic.
The fourth mainline film, reportedly titled The Conjuring: Last Rites, is currently in development. It’s rumored to be the final chapter for the Warrens. If you want to be ready for it, now is the time to catch up on the timeline. Start with The Nun if you want the history, or The Conjuring if you want the quality. Just keep the lights on.
Check the official Max or Warner Bros. Discovery portals for where these are currently streaming, as they tend to hop between platforms like HBO and Netflix depending on the month.