Summary

• The best movies like The Conjuring creatively reinvent haunted house and ghost story tropes.
• Films similar to The Conjuring explore themes of hauntings, possession, and cursed objects.
• Fans of The Conjuring will enjoy movies like Oculus, The Innocents, and The Night House for supernatural chills.

There are many movies like The Conjuring for fans left wanting more after viewing every installment in the hit horror franchise based on paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Stylistically, the Conjuring movies drew inspiration from a long line of supernatural horror films, some of them from some of the most famous directors in Hollywood history. The best movies like The Conjuring each participate in a tradition of creatively reinventing the techniques and tropes of haunted house films and ghost stories.

As either modern hidden gems or classics of the genre, films that are similar to The Conjuring tap into the same themes of hauntings and possession, with many also having a similar aesthetic. Some of the best movies like The Conjuring are some of the biggest horror hits of the 21st century so far and must-see films for any fan of the genre. The Conjuring franchise doesn't look like it's going anywhere for the foreseeable future, but in between installments from the cinematic universe, there's plenty more out there for anyone looking for supernatural chills.

25 Oculus

2013

One of the best cursed object movies from the same year as The Conjuring is Mike Flanagan's 2013 horror film Oculus, which sees two siblings (Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites) grapple with the mind-bending powers of a cursed mirror that appears to have caused traumatic events throughout history, as well as in their own childhoods. Oculus was based on a short film made by Flanagan earlier in his career and, while it wasn't as critical a success as the franchise-spawning The Conjuring, it has a lot going for it that will appeal to the Conjurverse fanbase.

Movies like The Conjuring either feature or revolve around the classic horror concept of cursed objects. There is a uniquely chilling quality to a story about an evil house or a demonic item, as sinister objects have the power to take on menacing personalities of their own, even when they're completely inanimate. Oculus focuses on the effects of a cursed mirror, one that would feel right at home in Ed and Lorraine Warren's vault of cursed items.

24 The Innocents

1961

It's not only modern hits among movies like The Conjuring, as there are plenty of vintage and classic horror films that inspired it and, as such, have a very similar feel — such as 1961's The Innocents. Very few horror films are as foundational to the structure of the haunted house genre as The Innocents, which achieves a chilling atmosphere through what it chooses to not show the audience, provoking the viewer's imagination and forcing them to question what they see.

This classic tale of a young governess and her ordeal in a supposedly haunted country estate formed the basis of the style of the vast majority of haunted house movies that followed it

Adapted from Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, this classic tale of a young governess and her ordeal in a supposedly haunted country estate formed the basis of the style of the vast majority of haunted house movies that followed it, making it one of the biggest influences on horror movies like The Conjuring

23 The Autopsy Of Jane Doe

2016

2016's The Autopsy of Jane Doe is much more intimate than the films in the Conjurverse, given that it takes place in a single setting, but the way the haunting mystery unfolds makes it a prime candidate for movies like The Conjuring to view after watching the franchise. A central mystery within the plot is one of the biggest elements behind driving the scares in the Conjuring franchise, as the viewer uncovers a series of dark truths and hidden histories along with the main characters.

Though The Autopsy of Jane Doe is set almost entirely in one location, the twists and reveals of the story that are uncovered by two coroners (Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch) as they examine the titular cadaver (Olwen Kelly) form an engaging puzzle that's as sprawling as it is sinister. Fans of the supernatural jump scares in The Conjuring will not be disappointed by the movie's level of variety in the face of its claustrophobic sets.

22 The Night House

2021

Though the series is famous for its supernatural horror elements, one of the Conjuring franchise's most integral aspects is its focus on domestic drama, as the movies depict everyday people struggling with real-life issues. David Bruckner's 2021 horror movie The Night House is another movie like The Conjuring that serves as an example of how these two storytelling mediums can be combined.

The Night House isn't as acclaimed as The Conjuring though it still hits the mark for fans of the franchise — and it picked up a Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Screenplay in 2022.

Rebecca Hall leads The Night House as Beth, a newly widowed school teacher struggling to come to with her husband's sudden death as she begins to sense an otherworldly presence within their lakeside home. This force is revealed to be essentially demonic, but the most disquieting ideas within the plot are as powerful as they are because they're left formless and abstract. Much like Oculus, The Night House isn't as acclaimed as The Conjuring though it still hits the mark for fans of the franchise — and it picked up a Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Screenplay in 2022.

21 Verónica

2017

Some of the best horror movies like The Conjuring, including films that are set within the Conjuring universe, revolve around stories of families struggling to cope in the aftermath of a loss or some other kind of large-scale change to their daily lives and are based on true stories. 2017's Verónica, like The Conjuring, is inspired by a real-life incident and is set in Spain in the early 1990s. While the true story of Verónica isn't a haunting that was investigated by the real Ed and Lorraine Warren, it bears many of the hallmarks of similar cases that inspired movies in the Conjurverse.

The titular Verónica (Sandra Escacena) finds her already fractured life upended further when, after attempting to her recently deceased father, she is tormented by a demon. Though the similarities to The Conjuring may seem mostly superficial, both demonic possession and domestic strife are explored to their extremes.

20 The Haunting

1963

Many fans of The Conjuring and its sequels appreciate the movie's relative restraint, and a classic horror movie that arguably helped launch this particular genre style is 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 one of the most stylish movies about a haunted house and the story's subversive subtext can occupy a horror fan's thoughts for days on end.

It has a lot to offer fans of The Conjuring's investigative side, as well as its links between the supernatural and its impact on mental health.

It's easy to see how this classic 1963 horror movie influenced the decades of movies that followed it, including 2014's The Conjuring. The Haunting follows a group of people investigating paranormal phenomena at an old and ornate haunted house, so it has a lot to offer fans of The Conjuring's investigative side, as well as its links between the supernatural and its impact on mental health.

19 The Legend Of Hell House

1973

Conjuring fans who may want the story of The Haunting but without the subtlety and ambiguity will find that 1973's The Legend of Hell House fits the bill nicely, as it draws on many of the same narrative ideas but approaches them in a much more heavy-handed way — one that is perhaps atypical of 1970s horror movies. As well as being a movie like The Conjuring, The Legend of Hell House was also released the same year as The Exorcist, so has many similar hallmarks of the decade that fans of 1970s horror appreciate.

While the story of The Legend of Hell House was taken by writer Richard Matheson from his novel of the same name, the similarities between Hell House and Hill House are plain to see. The key difference is that the group of researchers in Matheson's version take a much more direct and Conjuring-like approach to grappling with the paranormal.

18 As Above, So Below

2014

As Above, So Below is one of several movies like The Conjuring that didn't have the same impact or box-office success as the Conjurverse franchise when they first released, but went on to become cult hits in their own right. Released in 2014, a year after The Conjuring, director John Erick Dowdle's As Above, So Below initially flew under the radar for many horror movie fans but — especially when it went to streaming — soon gained a reputation as one of the scariest found footage films of the 2010s.

Whether it's because of the informative historical aspects or the adrenaline jolts given by the ghoulish horror, Conjuring fans won't be disappointed by this often visceral and sometimes emotional ride.

Set primarily in a series of hidden caves beneath the Catacombs of Paris, As Above, So Below is a paranormal found footage film that follows a quest to locate the philosopher's stone, a journey that soon derails into a hellish fight for survival against supernatural forces. Whether it's because of the informative historical aspects or the adrenaline jolts given by the ghoulish horror, Conjuring fans won't be disappointed by this often visceral and sometimes emotional ride.

17 Insidious

2010

While it may not be the best movie like The Conjuring, 2010's Insidious is among the most similar, especially due to the involvement of James Wan and the fact that Patrick Wilson stars in both franchises. Conjuring figurehead James Wan has directed a number of acclaimed horror movies and action-thrillers over the course of his career so far, creating a number of successful horror franchises in the process. Next to The Conjuring, the director has the gory Saw franchise with creative partner Leigh Whannell.

However, a more appealing creation from the two for Conjuring fans would be the supernaturally-themed Insidious franchise, which revolves around paranormal investigation and the spirit realm. The first installment and its sequel both also star Patrick Wilson, who plays Ed Warren in the Conjuring movies.

16 The Exorcism Of Emily Rose

2005

Many movies like The Conjuring focus on exorcisms, and one of the best examples for fans of both the Conjurverse and demonic possession movies in general is 2005's The Exorcism of Emily Rose. While The Conjuring movies focus more on hauntings than demons possessing people (except for The Conjuring 3, of course), hellish spirits were still an integral part of the franchise. Fans who enjoy that particular aspect will feel right at home with The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which stands as one of the best movies featuring possession since The Exorcist.

Scott Derrickson's religious horror film The Exorcism of Emily Rose isn't short on loud and shocking frights but is still fundamentally based around quieter theological discussions.

Part demonic horror movie and part courtroom legal drama, Scott Derrickson's religious horror film The Exorcism of Emily Rose isn't short on loud and shocking frights but is still fundamentally based around quieter theological discussions. Laura Linney plays a headstrong lawyer in the movie tasked with defending Tom Wilkinson's priest, charged with the death of a young girl during an exorcism. Conjuring fans will appreciate both the religious elements at play in the story and the high caliber of performances from the ensemble cast.