If you enjoy horror, thriller, supernatural, and mystery films, you must like Conjuring. The rush of thrill when watching these types of movies is always fun.
While it can be hard to find a movie that will scare and intrigue you simultaneously, recommendations are always welcome.
The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring is a film written by Chad and Carey Hayes. This film was directed by James Wan and was officially released in 2013. The Conjuring is specifically a paranormal horror and thriller film.
On a more general scale, they are also under the horror and mystery categories as the story’s plot are set to figure something out.
The film follows two paranormal investigators and demonologists, namely Lorraine and Ed, played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson.
The Perron family seeks out these two paranormal investigators as they grapple with a supernatural force in their secluded farmhouse. The Perron family is composed of Carolyn and Roger Perron, played by (Lili Taylor) and (Ron Livingston).
They had five daughters and had just settled in this farmhouse when the weird things started happening. The family called for help when a paranormal entity started appearing and had made itself known.
At first, the paranormal presence makes itself known in simple ways or gentler and milder ways. However, as time passed by, the manifestations became more horrifying.
The terrifying encounters have escalated, especially when Lorraine and Ed slowly unmask the macabre history of the farmhouse.
The Conjuring follows Wan’s prior paranormal horror films in which he forms a trifecta, bringing back and keeping these types of movies in viewers’ echo chambers.
While paranormal horror films have established a predictable plot and subscribed to a specific flow, The Conjuring is a breath of fresh air. The evangelical correlation is also a strong point of the movie.
Some viewers deem it to be more relatable as the movie involved evangelical cliches, which are still practiced in the modern-day, like an exorcism, the use of the bible, praying, and many more.
In a way, The Conjuring, as a movie, allows viewers to reconnect with some familiar themes concerning their religious affiliations or spirituality. Here are the 12 best movies like Conjuring.
1. The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
English 1h 33m IMDb
Director: Michael Chaves
Stars: Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velasquez
The Curse of La Llorona tells the tale of a legendary ghost called La Llorona. La Llorona is known to be out at night and stalking people, specifically children.
The film follows a story of a mother and her two children as they are lured to a supernatural dimension. A distraught mother gave warnings, but it was ignored, and thus, the fight for freedom and life began.
Their only chance of surviving La Llorona’s lethal fury is a cynical priest who relies on his practice of mythicism to ward against evil.
The entirety of the movie has cultural concepts that spark interest in viewers. If you like paranormal horror stories that tackle folklore, you might like this one.
2. The Nun (2018)
English 1h 36m IMDb
Director: Corin Hardy
Stars: Demián Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet
The Nun follows the suicide of an abbey nun in Romania and the Vatican’s attempt at the investigation. The Vatican sent a priest and a novitiate on the verge of her final vows. As they investigate, they later discover the order’s darkest secret.
The story escalates, and they end up grappling with a hostile and demonic nun, risking their lives and souls. A movie with no dead air has been becoming rare, especially in the genre of paranormal horror.
However, The Nun is considered an exception as it is quick-paced. An exciting act always happens, so it does not bore the viewers. The movie is also well-casted, and the performances are good, adding to the film’s quality.
3. Insidious (2010)
English 1h 43m IMDb
Director: James Wan
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins
Insidious follows the story of two parents, namely Josh and Renai Lambert, trying to save their comatose son, Foster Lambert, from a hostile entity that seems to be inhabiting his body.
The parents are driven to resort to extraordinary measures to save their child and escape the evil entity in their house and their son’s body. The film delivers a steady stream of shocks using several conventional haunted house elements.
One thing about Insidious is that it is not reliant on jump scares to make it scary. There is more to it than streams of shock factor. The plot is rich, and it tries to solve something.
The script is intricately written, avoiding loose ends, so it’s very digestible as a paranormal horror movie
4. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
English 1h 39m IMDb
Director: Mike Flanagan
Stars: Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso
Ouija: Origin of Evil is a paranormal horror film that tells the story of a widowed mother named Alic Zander who runs a seance business. This business is a fraud and an ongoing act to earn money by tricking others.
To boost her business, she introduces an Ouija board that invites an unwanted and evil spirit into their home. This spirit then inhabits her youngest daughter’s (Doris) body.
The situation escalates, and the family is led to confront their worst fears to save Doris. Overall, Ouija: Origin of Evil is a well-made film with excellent performances and plenty of unexpected turns.
The film contained many scenes that made viewers express genuine fear. Ouija: Origin of Evil also offers familiarity by mainly incorporating the Ouija board as a primary element in the film.
5. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
English 1h 49m IMDb
Director: David F. Sandberg
Stars: Anthony LaPaglia, Samara Lee, Miranda Otto
Annabelle: Creation tells the story of a doll who seems to be alive. The story revolves around former toy maker Sam Mullins and his wife, Esther.
They have taken up residence at a farmhouse and made room for a nun and six orphaned girls. The movie soon uncovers the sad story of the couple’s 7-year-old deceased daughter, who passed away in a car accident.
When one youngster slips into a prohibited room and discovers a doll, the house falls in terror. The acting was up to the standards expected. The film has a unique quality that keeps viewers’ curiosity piqued.
The sound effects are also good, contributing to the eerie vibe and feel of the movie. Annabelle: Creation is one type of movie with a story to tell. In short, the plot is not lifeless, which is relatively hard to find in other paranormal horror films.
6. The Unholy (2021)
English 1h 39m IMDb
Director: Evan Spiliotopoulos
Stars: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Cricket Brown, William Sadler
The Unholy tells the story of a young woman who gains the ability to heal the sick. This “ability” is said to have started after what is said to be a visitation from the Virgin Mary.
And so, word spread fast, and several people came to where she was to witness the miracles she did. As the people keep coming and the word of her miracles keeps traveling, a disgraced journalist attempts to execute an investigation.
As the movie progresses, odd incidents begin to occur, leading him to question whether the miracles are a product of something evil. The fact that the antagonist is presented in a physical form from the beginning of the film is one of the features that differentiate it from the rest.
The movie is entertaining, with a compelling narrative and intense visual effects. This film also explores a new type of “ghost” element as it involves evangelical elements.
7. The Possession of Hannah Grace (2018)
English 1h 26m IMDb
Director: Diederik Van Rooijen
Stars: Shay Mitchell, Grey Damon, Kirby Johnson
The Possession of Hannah Grace tells the story of Megan Reed, who started to experience visions and paranormal experiences.
These terrifying experiences started when the corpse of a woman named Hannah Grace was delivered to a morgue and watched by Megan, the person in charge of the night shift.
Before this, the story starts with a woman tragically killed by a traumatic exorcism. The said exorcism went wrong and spiraled out of control. In the times when Megan is confined within her workspace, she begins to see terrifying visions.
These visions lead her to conclude that the corpse is possessed by demonic power. Overall, this movie is a visual treat. The actors are also well-acquainted, and the performances are not bad either.
8. Veronica (2017)
Spanish (Spain) 1h 45m IMDb
Director: Paco Plaza
Stars: Sandra Escacena, Bruna González, Claudia Placer
Veronica tells the story of a girl with her group of friends trying to communicate with her deceased father’s spirit. To do this, she decided to use an Ouija board where everything started to go downhill.
During their attempt to communicate using the Ouija board, she loses consciousness. It is not long before it is apparent that unwanted, malevolent demons have arrived. The cast in this film has delivered outstanding performances.
Although you might have seen several films with the Ouija board as the catalyst for the beginning of a horror story, this one took a somewhat different approach.
This movie features many scary moments and sequences that make you jump and your heart thump. In addition, the movie has a touch of warm backstory which employs an emotional aspect to the movie.
9. Deliver Us from Evil (2014)
English 1h 58m IMDb
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Eric Bana, Edgar Ramírez, Olivia Munn
Deliver Us From Evil follows a veteran cop and NYPD Sgt. Ralph Sarchie and his partner and their bizarre case. Sarchie has seen and experienced so many dark and horrifying events that it’s slowly eating him up from the inside.
When Sarchie and his partner are pushed to investigate a particularly peculiar event, he finds himself and his beliefs tested to their limits. He finds help with their investigation and teams up with a renegade priest.
As they continue their investigation, the priest tries to make Sarchie believe that the existence of demons is actual. Deliver Us from Evil is a powerful, gory, and disturbing horror movie.
The script is excellent, and the writers are creative, keeping you interested throughout. In addition to the fact that it’s scary, the cast did a fantastic job.
They even snuck in a few funny moments. Last but not least, the exorcism has a genuine feel, unlike the generic and mainstream exorcism scenes you might have watched in the past.
10. Rings (2017)
English 1h 42m IMDb
Director: F. Javier Gutiérrez
Stars: Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki
Rings tells the story of two individuals in a relationship, Julia and Holt. To get to the bottom of this mysterious subculture, Holt goes undercover to find out if the mysterious seven-day-death videotape is genuine.
On the other hand, Julia has become aware of her boyfriend’s activities and worries about her lover’s safety. As the film progresses, she ends up sacrificing herself in her attempt to save her boyfriend.
She discovers a fundamental and terrifying discovery during her struggle with unknown forces. It turns out that there is more to the movie than meets the eye.
The film is set up to keep audiences on the edge of their seats for the whole time the movie is running. In addition, the backstory is fascinating, which is a positive contribution to the main plot. Rings is a decent horror film, despite its unconventional approach.
11. The Possession (2012)
English 1h 32m IMDb
Director: Ole Bornedal
Stars: Natasha Calis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick
The Possession starts with a young girl named Em, who has developed an uncommon love or obsession for an antique box made of wood that she has bought from a yard sale.
At this point, (Clyde and Stephanie) her parents initially do not seem very concerned about their daughter’s condition. However, as time goes by, Em shows signs of instability which continues to grow.
This causes her parents to suspect the existence of an evil entity. As they investigate, they discover that the box contains a dybbuk, meaning a spirit that inhabits it. The spirit’s ultimate goal worsens its discovery to devour its host.
The Possession, overall, evokes strong feelings of dread and terror. The film’s direction is good, and the storyline is engaging. Another thing to be acknowledged is the scoring in the entire movie.
12. Dead Silence (2007)
English 1h 29m IMDb
Director: James Wan
Stars: Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg
Dead Silence tells the story of a guy named Jamie Ashen. His wife has met an unsettling end, so he journeys back to their hometown to try and investigate his wife’s death.
Once he arrives, he is met with chilling experiences and learns about the tale of Mary Shaw, a slain ventriloquist. Despite the ventriloquist’s death, its presence is still felt throughout the town.
As he continues his investigation, Jamie stumbles upon the curse responsible for his wife’s death. The curse not only affected his wife but is now a threat to his life. This movie is simply on a different and higher level.
Even though it may center on fantasy and mythological concepts, it stays grounded in its plot and storyline. This horror film possesses one of the best plotlines out there.
Summary
These 12 best movies like Conjuring, are set to keep you at the edge of your seat. If you are up for more paranormal horror movies, it’s always good to ask for recommendations to avoid wasting time.
However, trying out new films can still be fun, and you may discover some real gems as you do.
