How Scary Are The Conjuring Movies? (2024)

The Conjuring movies had to have an impressive level of fright to expand into a multi-billion, multi-series franchise the way it has. The franchise's main series, consisting of The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016), and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), found an incredible groove with audiences documenting the supernatural cases of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. From the initial The Conjuring, a franchise was born, burgeoning into the aforementioned main series and the Annabelle and The Nun series, which served essentially as backstories to the eerie entities the Warrens face within their investigations.

With eight movies comprising The Conjuring Universe, the franchise earned upwards of $2 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming the only horror franchise to do so and one of the most recognizable franchises in modern-day horror cinema. The ever-successful Conjuring franchise didn't turn out that way chasing cheap thrills and frights. However, the effectiveness of horror varies from person to person, especially for self-proclaimed horror fanatics, making it tricky to measure the exact level of The Conjuring movies' scare factor. That said, some substantial franchise indicators can help audiences gauge how scary the movies will be to them.

All 3 Conjuring Movies Are Rated R

The Conjuring's Main Trilogy Remained Consistent In Adult Themes

The most obvious indicator of how scary The Conjuring movies are is in their ratings - and all three of The Conjuring Universe's main series movies are rated R. Differently than the typical R-rated slasher, zombie, or other subgenres of horror, The Conjuring movies are not so much gory or defined by kill counts but thrive off a tense, nightmarish type of horror. Those more frightened by adult themes such as horror violence and terror, which the movies illustrate through demonic occurrences, jump scares, and the like, will find The Conjuring movies considerably more scary than others.

Adding more nightmare fuel to the fire is the fact that TheConjuring movies take inspiration from supposed real-life cases of haunting the Warrens investigated throughout their careers. This knowledge makes the scariest entities in The Conjuring Universe that much more frightening. Throughout the main The Conjuring movies, Ed and Lorraine contend with the witch-like spirit Bathsheba, the demon Valak, who takes on the form of a nun or the creepy Crooked Man, and the unmerciful occultist Isla Katsner, all of whom come across as thoroughly physically or emotionally disturbing but are made even more terrifying by their backstories.

Are The Other Movies In The Conjuring Universe Rated R?

The Entire Conjuring Universe Is Rated R

The Nun and Annabelle film series delve deeper into the subjects of Ed and Lorraine's investigations, namely the origins and subsequent hauntings of the possessed porcelain doll known as Annabelle and the inception of the spirit called Valak, who comes to be the basis of The Nun movies. Similarly to The Conjuring Universe's main series movies, all The Nun and Annabelle films are rated R. Likewise, The Nun and Annabelle series are rated R primarily due to their depiction of horror violence and terror.

The Conjuring's adjunct series may be more or less scary to the universe's main series, specifically because there isn't variation in their antagonists. The Annabelle films spotlight the titular grotesque doll and The Nun films focus on Valak in its monstrous nun form. Whereas The Conjuring movies favor variation in the form of a handful of demonic antagonists, The Nun and Annabelle series do not - meaning those who are particularly afraid of dolls or humanoid figures may not be able to sit through The Conjuring's adjunct series as they would the main series.

A Parent's Guide To The Conjuring Movies

The Conjuring Universe Is Not Suitable For Children

The Conjuring Universe may not inundate audiences with gore or other more obvious adult themes. Yet, the entire franchise's R-rating is purposeful, and it's not simply because the movies are rife with disturbing imagery. The Conjuring Universe relies on distressing themes and the inspiration of real-life circ*mstances for shock and scare value, which can be overwhelming for those who do not fully understand the notion of the supernatural.

Consequently, The Conjuring Universe is not suitable for children. Parents should bear in mind that The Conjuring Universe amplifies hard-to-grasp conceptions like possessions and hauntings with dark atmospheres and tones with the intention of frightening. While teenagers may be able to tolerate some of The Conjuring Universe's scariest moments, younger children will undoubtedly have a hard time shaking what they witness on screen.

The Conjuring

The Conjuring is a multi-film franchise that started in 2013 with James Wan's The Conjuring. Since then, it has expanded with spinoffs like Annabelle, The Nun, and sequels to the original film. Due to the popularity of the movies, The Conjuring has become one of the most profitable franchises in Warner Bros.' portfolio.

Created by

James Wan

First Film

The Conjuring

Cast

Patrick Wilson , Vera Farmiga , Ron Livingston , Lili Taylor , Joey King , Mackenzie Foy , Madison Wolfe , John Noble , Ruairi O'Connor , Ward Horton , Annabelle Wallis , Alfre Woodard , Tony Amendola , Anthony LaPaglia , Miranda Otto , Brad Greenquist , Lulu Wilson , Talitha Bateman , Grace Caroline Currey , Mckenna Grace , Taissa Farmiga , Bonnie Aarons , Demián Bichir , Jonas Bloquet