The Conjuringmovies 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 ofThe Conjuring(2013),The Conjuring 2(2016), andThe Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It(2021), found an incredible groove with audiences documenting the supernaturalcases of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. From the initialThe Conjuring, a franchise was born, burgeoning into the aforementioned main series and theAnnabelleandThe Nunseries, which served essentially as backstories to the eerie entities the Warrens face within their investigations.
With eightmovies comprisingThe ConjuringUniverse, 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-successfulConjuringfranchisedidn’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 ofThe Conjuringmovies' 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 scaryThe Conjuringmovies are is in their ratings - andall three ofThe Conjuring Universe’smain series movies are rated R. Differently than the typical R-rated slasher, zombie, or other subgenres of horror,The Conjuringmovies are not so much gory or defined by kill counts but thrive off a tense, nightmarish type of horror.
Rated R for sequences of disturbing violence and terror.
Rated R for terror and horror violence.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Rated R for terror, violence, and some disturbing images.
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 findThe Conjuringmovies considerably more scary than others. Adding more nightmare fuel to the fire is the fact thatTheConjuringmovies take inspiration from supposed real-life cases of hauntingthe Warrens investigated throughout their careers.
This knowledge makesthe scariest entities inThe Conjuring Universethat much more frightening. Throughout the mainThe Conjuringmovies, 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 NunandAnnabellefilm 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 ofThe Nunmovies. Similarly toThe Conjuring Universe’smain series movies, allThe NunandAnnabellefilms are rated R. Likewise,The NunandAnnabelleseries are rated R primarily due to their depiction of horror violence and terror.
Rated R for intense sequences of disturbing violence and terror.
Rated R for horror violence and terror.
Rated R for terror, violence, and disturbing/bloody images.
The Nun II
Rated R for violent content and some terror.
The Conjuring’sadjunct series may be more or less scary to the universe’s main series, specifically because there isn’t variation in their antagonists. TheAnnabellefilms spotlight the titular grotesque doll andThe Nunfilms focus on Valak in its monstrous nun form. WhereasThe Conjuringmovies favor variation in the form of a handful of demonic antagonists,The NunandAnnabelleseries do not - meaning those who are particularly afraid of dolls or humanoid figures may not be able to sit throughThe Conjuring’sadjunct 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 Universerelies on distressing themes and the inspiration of real-life circumstances for shock and scare value, which can be overwhelming for those who do not fully understand the notion of the supernatural.
The Conjuring Universemay 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 Universerelies on distressing themes and the inspiration of real-life circumstances for shock and scare value, which can be overwhelming for those who do not fully understand the notion of the supernatural.
Consequently,The Conjuring Universeis not suitable for children. Parents should bear in mind thatThe Conjuring Universeamplifies 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 ofThe ConjuringUniverse’sscariest 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.
