The Conjuring-verse — which includes three Conjuring movies and multiple spinoff sagas — is one of the most successful horror franchises in history, grossing over 2 billion dollars on total (on relatively small horror budgets).
Created by Furious 7 director James Wan, who also co-created the long-running Saw franchise, The Conjuring started as a freaky dramatization of the real-life paranormal snoops, Ed and Lorraine Warren. From there, the movies began exploring the histories of its various demons (The Nun movies) and/or cursed objects (Annabelle films).
For those perhaps looking for other movies that might get under your skin the same way The Conjuring does, we’ve compiled a list of films dealing with ghosts, devils, and all sorts of malevolent spirits for you to check out and get that all-important Conjuring hit.
Naturally, you’ll also want to check out all eight Conjuring franchise movies — The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Conjuring 2, Annabelle: Creation, The Nun, The Curse of La Llorona, Annabelle Comes Home, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It — before The Nun 2 release this September.
Insidious (2010)
Where to Watch: HBO Max
As if creating the Saw saga wasn’t enough, James Wan’s Saw partner Leigh Whannell, created the Insidious franchise, which consists of four movies — Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2, Insidious: Chapter 3, and Insidious: The Last Key. Also starring The Conjuring’s Patrick Wilson, along with Rose Byrne (before they pass the torch to a demonologist character played by Lin Shaye), the Insidious movies involve ghoulish ghost possession and all sorts of awful things that go bump in the night. And the first two are directed by James Wan!
Read our review of Insidious.
The Changeling (1980)
Where to Watch: Peacock (w/ ads), Vudu (w/ ads), Tubi (w/ ads)
Want to catch a classic haunted house story? The Changeling stars George C. Scott as a man grieving the loss of his wife and daughter, whose new house comes with a terrible, tragic secret. Will he find redemption trying to tame the spirits of his new mansion? You’ll have to find out.
Read more about The Changling.
Poltergeist (1982)
Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms
This diabolical ’80s horror film became to go-to terrorizer for all young kids of the era, and a terrific textbook treatment for how to present malevolent spirits. Evil trees, sinister clown dolls, and a handful of icky iconic moments make for one hell of a ride as the Freeling family gets more than they bargained for in their cookie-cutter planned California community.
Read more about Potergeist.
Oculus (2013)
Where to Watch: Hulu
Starring Karen Gillan and Katee Sackhoff, Oculus is an underrated gem in the cursed object genre of horror films. Directed and co-written by Mike Flanagan, Oculus tells the tale of a brother and sister who, looking back at their childhood, become convinced that an antique mirror is responsible for the death and misfortune that they suffered.
Read our review of Oculus.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms
Featuring a once-in-a-lifetime performance from a pre-Dexter Jennifer Carpenter, Scott Derrickson’s The Exorcism of Emily Rose is unique in that it’s half horror, half-legal drama. Loosely based on a true story, the movie follows a self-proclaimed agnostic (Laura Linney) who acts as defense counsel representing a parish priest (Tom Wilkinson), accused by the state of negligent homicide after he performed an exorcism.
Read our review of The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
The Exorcist (1973)
Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms
Not much new needs to be written about The Exorcist as many still hail it as the best horror movie of all time. Its accolades, in fact, helped it become the first horror movie to ever be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. The film is a must for horror buffs and since that’s kind of a given we’ll also use this space to recommend 1990’s The Exorcist III (skip the direct sequel, this one brings back the original’s director/writer team). It’s got The Changeling’s George C. Scott, a scene-stealing performance by Brad Dourif, and one of the best jump scares of all time. An Exorcist reboot trilogy is on the way, by the way, starting in October, from Halloween reboot trilogy’s David Gordon Green.
Read more about The Exorcist.
The Amityville Horror (1979)
Where to Watch: Hoopla, Tubi (w/ ads)
Skip the not-great 2005 remake with Ryan Reynolds and head back to the original 1979 Amityville Horror if you’re wanted a fix of based-on-real-events style scares. Starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder as a young couple moving into a home haunted by really nasty supernatural forces, The Amityville Horror is a ghost flick not to be missed.
The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
Where to Watch: Roku Channel (w/ ads), Tubi (w/ ads)
Another “get the hell out of there!” movie, also allegedly based on a real life family, is The Haunting in Connecticut. The film follows the fictional Campbells as they move into a house to mitigate the strains of travel on their cancer-stricken son. They’re soon brutalized by violent spirits, creating a perfect blend of thrills and chills.
Read more about The Haunting in Connecticut.
Sinister (2012)
Where to Watch: HBO Max
A film that should have spawned way more sequels than it got was Scott Derrickson’s Sinister, starring Ethan Hawke as a struggling true-crime writer. He discovers a pretty wicked demon hiding inside home movies that wipes out entire families in one fell swoop. It’s one of the freakiest films of the last decade. Sadly, Sinister 2 couldn’t give the story a proper follow-up.
Read our review of Sinister.
The Others (2001)
Nicole Kidman headlined this gothic ghost story, which takes place in post-World War II 1940s England and showcases a family tormented by supernatural goings-on in their home, primarily the “others,” which seem to be an entirely different family walking the halls. It’s a dreamy, twisty chiller that is definitely worth a late-night watch.
Read our review of The Others.
The Rite (2011)
Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms
Like The Conjuring, The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins, is based on supposed actual events, this time ones witnessed by American exorcist-in-training Father Gary Thomas, who traveled to Rome to be trained. This is perfectly patient, atmospheric horror from 1408’s Mikael Håfström and co-starring Once Upon a Time’s Colin O’Donoghue.
Read our review of The Rite.
The Orphanage (2007)
Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms
This stunning achievement in gothic horror hails from J. A. Bayona (Penny Dreadful, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), capturing the feel of 1970s Spanish cinema with the story of a woman who returns to an orphanage as an adult, with plans of turning it into a home for disabled children. But once her adopted son goes missing, she uncovers a fiendish ghost story happening underneath everything. J. A. Bayona’s good friend Guillermo del Toro helped produce the film, getting its initial budget doubled.
Read more about The Orphanage.
The Frighteners (1996)
Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms
Lightening the mood here slightly, though still delivering a rather vicious story, is Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners, which will have you both laughing and jumping alternately. Michael J. Fox stars as a con man who uses his ability to see and befriend ghosts to be his town’s ghost-buster. Though his gifts soon reveal an actual killer spirit taking lives and from there it all becomes a rollicking, devilish adventure. Jake Busey, The Re-Animator’s Jeffrey Combs, and scream queen Dee Wallace Stone co-star.
Read more about The Frighteners.
Looking for more scary films? Check out our guide to the best horror movies of all time and the best horror movies on Netflix.
