The films in the Conjuring universe brought us many scares over the years, and a pair of paranormal investigators we fell in love with more after every installment. I always loved how it grew into a shared universe with different entities and plenty of terror. Today, I wanted to share my top 5 favorite films in the Conjuring universe! I hope you enjoy and let me know which installment is your favorite!! (NOTE: I feel I have to say that I do understand that the real Ed and Lorraine Warren were nothing like the duo we see on the screen, and I hope you understand any and all praise I have is ONLY for the fictional characters and the fictional films!)

5. The Conjuring

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Paranormal investigators, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.

This film absolutely set the bar for what this franchise could be capable of. It brought us characters we can really root for, terrifying spirits that keep us up at night, and an intriguing and horrific tale. There are still so many moments in this film that send a chill down my spine every time I watch them. It’s not only wonderfully executed, I’d go as far as to say that this installment is downright iconic!

4. Annabelle Comes Home

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): While babysitting the daughter of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a teenager and her friend unknowingly awaken an evil spirit trapped in a doll.

I think this one is a very underrated installment in the franchise. I just LOVE how the protagonists have to deal with not one threat, but multiple different ones. Each story was so intriguing and it certainly didn’t skimp on the scares here. I also love how it was mostly centered on Judy and what she’s had to face by being their daughter. This film one that grew on me more and more with each watch.

3. The Nun

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): A priest with a haunted past and a novice on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.

It honestly blows my mind that this one was rated so low, because I thought this was fantastic! This one had more chilling moments that stuck with me for a long time than any other film in the franchise. I knew I was going to love this film after watching its bone-chilling first scene. The setting is just so creepy, and it all was unforgettable.

2. Annabelle: Creation

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Twelve years after the tragic death of their little girl, a doll-maker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, where they become the target of the doll-maker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.

I’ll admit, I didn’t like the first Annabelle film when I first watched it, so I didn’t expect a lot from this prequel going in. This one exceeded my expectations by SO MUCH!! It was so terrifying and tragic. What really made me a fan was that ending and how they connected it to the original story. I certainly wasn’t expecting it.

1. The Conjuring 2

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to North London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by a supernatural spirit.

This film definitely solidified my love for these characters and these stories! I love the chilly London setting, and I love how they upped the scares with such a terrifying demon. Valak was a fantastic addition to the franchise, it’s such a terrifying entity. With the spirits, the characters, the suspension, the scares, and the stakes, it’s just a perfect paranormal horror film to me!

I wanted to give a special Honorable Mention to The Conjuring: Last Rites. Its ending was not only perfect for the film, but it was a perfect and absolutely beautiful send-off to the franchise that scared many of us for over a decade. I just couldn’t make an article about this universe without mentioning it.