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 10 similar horror movies should deliver what fans of The Conjuring movies crave.
10 Insidious
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).
9 The Exorcism of Emily Rose
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.
8 The Babadook
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 Babdook 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.
7 It
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.
6 Sinister
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.
5 Dead Silence
The first movie from James Wan 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.
4 Lights Out
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.
Similarly to 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.
3 Winchester
If battling ghosts in a creepy house is your thing then 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.
2 Poltergeist (1982)
The first of two classic horror movies with modern remakes on this list, 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 could only be topped by a movie as important as our final entry.
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.
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