20 Horror Movies To Watch If You Loved The Conjuring

20 Horror Movies To Watch If You Loved The Conjuring

Fans of James Wan’s The Conjuring and its cinematic universe will love these similar supernatural horror movies, both classic and modern.

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Dramatizing a case of demonic possession that was chronicled by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in the 1970s, James Wan’s massively popular horror movie The Conjuring started its own cinematic universe with sequels and spinoffs still being produced today.

One of the more accessible hits of the horror movie genre for general audiences from recent years, that doesn’t compromise on the visceral power of its scares, The Conjuring can leave its fans wondering what else there is in the market that can live up to its high standards. These similar horror movies should deliver what fans of The Conjuring movies crave.

Updated on February 9th, 2021 by Mark Birrell: The Conjuring universe has shown no signs of slowing down and has successfully cemented itself as a significant name in the horror genre. With a long history of movies that the franchise has drawn from, and an ever-growing slew of emulators, contemporaries, and imitators taking from it and contextualizing it, there’s a huge number of other horror movies to recommend to fans of the original entry and the universe that it spawned. From integral classics to modern cult classics, at least one of these movies, if not all of them, should satisfy any fan of The Conjuring.

20 Insidious (2010)

James Wan is far from a one-trick pony and has directed a number of very well-liked horror movies and action-thrillers over the course of his career so far, creating a number of successful franchises in the process.

Next to The Conjuring, the director has the gory Saw franchise with creative partner Leigh Whannell but a more fitting creation from the two for this list would be the supernaturally-themed Insidious franchise, chiefly the first installment and its sequel which both also star Patrick Wilson in the lead role (who plays Ed Warren in the Conjuring movies).

19 The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Part demonic horror movie and part courtroom legal drama, Scott Derrickson’s exorcism movie isn’t short on loud and shocking frights but is still fundamentally based around quieter theological discussions.

Laura Linney plays a headstrong lawyer tasked with defending Tom Wilkinson’s priest, charged with the death of a young girl during an exorcism. Conjuring fans will recognize both the religious elements at play in the story and the high caliber of performances from the ensemble.

18 The Babadook (2014)

Jennifer Kent’s psychological horror movie tackles the idea of a woman being terrorized by an otherworldly force but much less from a demonic perspective and more from an emotional one.

The titular Babadook is creepy enough to be ripped straight from the Conjuring universe but it’s the dramatic weight behind the relationships of the movie that really sell it.

17 Paranormal Activity (2007)

Not just one of the most successful independent movies ever made, Oren Peli’s original Paranormal Activity holds a significant place in the history of the found footage genre.

The story of demonic possession was snapped up by prolific horror movie producer Jason Blum and spawned a long-lasting franchise. Both Peli and Blum would also go on to collaborate with James Wan and co-produce Insidious.

16 The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

Another found footage take on the demonic possession movie, though often thought of as much more of a hidden gem than the considerably more successful Paranormal Activity, The Taking of Deborah Logan uses a documentary of the hard-hitting effects of Alzheimer’s disease as a backdrop for a chilling tale of terrifying transformation.

As a result of its subject matter, the movie places as much emphasis on drama as it does on horror, and the mixture of the two should be satisfying for many fans of The Conjuring.

15 The Skeleton Key (2005)

Quite a unique take on the classic creepy old house setup, The Skeleton Key sees Kate Hudson’s carer move into a secluded home in the Louisiana swamps to look after an elderly paralyzed man and his strictly old-fashioned wife.

Her observations of odd goings-on lead her to unravel a dark history involving southern Hoodoo ritualism, and there’s plenty of atmosphere in the visuals of the setting that Conjuring fans will love. But the real horror of the story is in the movie’s historical subtext and its chilling final twist. Make sure to watch it twice.

14 The Exorcist (1973)

William Friedkin’s adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s religious horror story has a legendary reputation that may seem overblown by today’s standards but The Exorcist remains a deeply unsettling movie experience.

Though so ingrained in popular culture that it’s been a staple of parody within the horror genre for close to half a century, few demonic possession movies could ever hope to lay claim to its crown.

13 It (2017)

The first half of Andy Muschietti’s two-part tackling of Stephen King’s iconic novel is bursting with enough creative scares to satisfy any Conjuring fan.

Taking place entirely in the 1980s, the period setting of the movie also adds a lot of personality to the story as it does with The Conjuring whilst still feeling entirely new school in terms of horror.

12 Mama (2013)

Before the smash-hit success of It, Andy Muschietti made a name for himself in the horror genre with this strange and scary tale of two orphaned sisters who are found living ferally in the woods, appearing to have been raised by a nurturing but darkly dangerous and supernatural spirit that they dub “Mama”.

Mixing unorthodox family drama with Tim Burton-esque lyricism and ghostly frights, Mama would feel right at home in the Conjuring universe’s back catalog.

11 The Shining (1980)

Master filmmaker Stanley Kubrick took a number of liberties with his acclaimed adaptation of Stephen King’s novel but it produced arguably the most horrifying movie based on the author’s work ever.

Fans still unpack and reexamine the uncanny horrors of this supernatural story even today but the haunting music, and Jack Nicholson’s terrifying lead performance, scare fans just as intensely now as they did 40 years ago.

10 Doctor Sleep (2019)

Indisputably being one of the greatest and most revered horror movies of all time, Kubrick’s The Shining is one tough act to follow. King did, in fact, write a sequel, and, considering how much Kubrick’s movie deviated from King’s first novel, it made the prospect of a cinematic adaptation of that followup seem all the more impossible.

Despite having to find a way to be a sequel to Kubrick’s The Shining, an adaptation of King’s novel, and its own movie, writer and director Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep provides a thrilling and emotional continuation of the iconic story.

9 Sinister (2012)

Director Scott Derrickson found even greater mainstream success with Sinister, which, whilst set in the modern-day, has plenty of eerie retro frights thanks to its premise.

Following a writer who discovers a box of 8mm film reels that show gruesome murders, the movie delves into the history of its chilling ‘Bughuul’ figure and their unique spin on possession, which Conjuring fans will appreciate the ingenuity behind.

8 Dead Silence (2007)

The first movie from James Wan and Leigh Whannell after the success of Saw, Dead Silence began the director down the road of supernatural horror that would lead to Insidious and The Conjuring.

Delivering some of the many scary dolls that would become somewhat of a motif for the director, the movie isn’t quite as memorable as some of his bigger hits but is a fun and macabre detour from the duo into a story of the vengeful spirit of a ventriloquist.

7 Lights Out (2016)

Produced by James Wan and directed by fellow future DCEU director David F. Sandberg, Lights Out is another high concept horror movie that keeps the focus on its dramatic elements.

Like The Babadook, the movie was adapted from an earlier short film by the director with Sandberg going on to direct the second Annabelle movie within the Conjuring universe.

6 The Amityville Horror (2005)

This remake of the 1979 movie of the same name tells the much-debated account of paranormal events experienced by the Lutz family when living in a home within the titular village that was once the site of a grisly serial murder.

Ryan Reynolds makes for a compelling lead in this 70s period story of possession and occultism in America. But it’s perhaps producer Michael Bay who leaves the biggest impression on the movie with his signature slickness creating a steady stream of shocks that are sure to hold a Conjuring fan’s attention.

5 Winchester (2018)

For fans of the simple set up of battling ghosts in a creepy old house, Winchester offers a variety of ghosts in a fascinatingly frightening house.

The movie’s story revolves around legends of hauntings at the Winchester Mystery House in California around the turn of the 20th century, with the mansion’s famously unorthodox construction adding lots of fun oddities to the movie’s environment.

4 Poltergeist (1982)

The original Poltergeist from director Tobe Hooper and producer Steven Spielberg brought out so much of the best of each filmmaker that fans still debate today which of them should really be credited as the actual director.

Packed with timeless atmosphere and occasionally gruesome frights that never go too far over the edge, the movie is one of the most seminal in the supernatural horror genre and its fightback against the evil of the spirit world is undoubtedly one of the Conjuring franchise’s biggest influences.

3 The Grudge (2004)

Takashi Simizu updated his J-horror classic from the long-running Ju-On series into (mostly) the English language with Sarah Michelle Gellar starring as an American nurse who unwittingly walks into a haunted house of horrors that contains an uncontrollable curse born of pure violent rage.

One of the few Asian horror icons to have ever rivaled the Ring franchise in the West, The Grudge remake showcases the greatest hits of the spinetingling series and acts as a great introduction for interested horror fans.

2 The Ring (2002)

Though taken on by a different director and transplanting the story from its native Japan to the US, Gore Verbinski’s remake of Hideo Nakata’s Ringu, which is debatably the most internationally famous Japanese horror movie of all time, was not only faithful but masterful in its own right.

The story of a haunted videotape that curses all those who watch it to die with 7 days of doing so will certainly remind Conjuring fans of the many demonic objects that litter the cinematic universe and they certainly won’t be left wanting for intense and visceral scares.

1 The Haunting (1963)

Many fans of The Conjuring appreciate the movie’s relative restraint and there is no more restrained a horror movie than Robert Wise’s original adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s novel ‘The Haunting of Hill House’.

The Haunting is not only a hugely influential landmark in the genre but it remains today as one of the most flawlessly stylish movies about a haunted house and the story’s subversive subtext can occupy a fan’s thoughts for days on end.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/horror-movies-like-conjuring-universe/

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