The twists and turns of the Conjuring universe have kept fans enthralled for 10 years and counting. The overarching story runs through the middle of the 20th century, but the films have not been released in the order in which they take place. If you want to watch the story in chronological order, how do you shuffle the installments?
Fortunately in a recent exclusive featurette, the folks behind the movies included a timeline that specifies when each movie takes place. So here we have it: The absolute, canonical, definitive guide to how to watch the movies of the Conjuring universe in story order.
'The Nun II' opens September 8, only in theaters. Get your tickets right here at Fandango.
1. The Nun (2018)
Takes place in: 1952
What happens: A priest and a novitiate are summoned to Romania to investigate an attack on the nuns at an abbey and find themselves locked in battle with the demon Valak, who will alter terrorize characters and audiences alike throughout the Conjuring series.
2. The Nun II (2023)
Takes place in: 1952
What happens: Four years after her encounter with Valak, Sister Irene lives a quiet life at a convent in Italy. A call from a Cardinal yanks her back to a time she thought she’d left behind. A priest has been murdered and Valak is on the loose. Can Sister Irene defeat the demonic nun again?
3. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Takes place in: 1958
What happens: A former toy maker and his wife welcome a nun and six orphans into their home. There’s only one room that’s off limits to the new residents: the hosts' late daughter’s bedroom. Before long, one of the children is lured into the room and discovers a doll that turns out to be possessed by a demon – and that demon is out for blood.
4. Annabelle (2014)
Takes place in:1970
What happens: This prequel to The Conjuring tells the tale of a demonic doll with an insatiable bloodlust. A man buys a vintage porcelain doll for his expectant wife, not realizing the doll is possessed by a demon courtesy of a mysterious cult. It’s not long before Annabelle is terrorizing the family, and they’re trying desperately to escape her clutches.
5. The Conjuring (2013)
Takes place in: 1971
What happens: The movie that started it all is based on a true story. A family moves into a secluded house that's been haunted by a powerful demonic entity. As the family battles for their lives against this supernatural force, Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and demonologists, try to help them by confronting the menace head-on.
6. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Takes place in: 1972
What happens: Ed and Lorraine Warren keep the possessed doll Annabelle locked up in a case in an artifacts room in their house. When the case is opened, the doll awakens a whole host of evil spirits, and it soon becomes an unholy night of terror for their 10-year-old daughter, her friend and their young babysitter.
7. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Takes place in: 1977
What happens: Ed and Lorraine Warren assist a single mother raising four children in a house plagued by malicious spirits. When one of the children becomes possessed by a demon, they realize that the Enfield Poltergeist isn’t some run-of-the-mill haunting. Can they banish the dark entity before it destroys its host and everything around her?
8. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
Takes place in: 1981
What happens: When a suspect in a murder case blames the crime on demonic possession, it’s up to the Warrens to prove him innocent – or else the devil will get away with murder. Their investigation pulls the Warrens into a supernatural inquiry unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.
What to watch next: The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
Although it takes place in the Conjuring universe and features some familiar faces, The Curse of La Llorona exists alongside the main Conjuring chronology. A social worker realizes that the disappearance of two children might be related to the legendary La Llorona. She and her children are soon drawn into mortal danger, and getting out alive is going to take some help from a priest who went up against Annabelle.
The story takes place in 1973, so if you want to insert it into the main Conjuring chronology, watch it between Annabelle Comes Home and The Conjuring.
