The Conjuring is one of the most popular horror movie franchises that has given us several great movies over the years. This particular franchise has set a benchmark for upcoming horror projects; however, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other great horror franchises for fans to explore. With that said, here are some of the best horror movie franchises that are very similar to and are as great as The Conjuring.
1. Insidious
Insidious is one of the horror franchises that closely resonates with The Conjuring universe. Created by James Wan and starring Patrick Wilson in the lead role, the franchise’s first film was released in 2010. With the eerie atmosphere, out-of-the-box jump scares, paranormal investigations, and encounters with the demon, the Inidious films have earned over $731 million worldwide collectively. Now that The Conjuring has concluded with The Last Rights lately, if you haven’t yet watched Insidious, you’re surely missing out on something huge. There are a total of 5 Insidious movies in the franchise.
2. The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead is another horror franchise that deserves the attention of every horror genre fanatic. Created by Sam Raimi, the franchise has gathered a cult following that never fails to root for it. Raimi’s creative vision and extraordinary camerawork are two of the main reasons for The Evil Dead’s success. The franchise has given us four films and two television shows so far, and none of them actually disappoints.
3. The Exorcist
The Exorcist is one such franchise that no weak-hearted person should try to watch. Like Conjuring, The Exorcist is all about demonic possessions, exorcism, and the struggle between the good and the evil forces. The franchise relies heavily on atmospheric horror rather than cheap thrills. The cinematography, eerie sounds, and pacing add to the horror aspect of The Exorcist. On top of everything, the films of this franchise star some of the brilliant actors who excel at leaving a major impact on the audience.
4. Poltergeist
Like The Conjuring and the above-mentioned franchises, Poltergeist also centers around families terrorized by demons. The franchise’s first film was released in 1982, followed by two films in 1986 and 1988, respectively. A reboot was released in 2015 to pave the way for a new franchise, but despite capturing decent viewership, it failed. Poltergeist stories blended family drama and horror elements in a natural way that captivated a massive fandom since the start. And that’s one of the reasons why the cult fan following still doesn’t run out of words whenever discussing the franchise’s eerie legacy.
5. Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity is one low-budget franchise that gives you goosebumps by making you witness the real horror footage through security cameras. The first film, released on September 25, 2009, laid the foundation for the franchise. It featured a couple, Katie and Micah; the latter installs a camera to find out about the demonic entity that has chased Katie since childhood. The film that was made with $15,000 ended up grossing $194 million. Following the success of the first film, Paranormal Activity spawned seven movies, the last one released in 2021.
6. Sinister
The Sinister franchise has two movies so far, with Ethan Hawke playing the lead role in the first one. Hawke’s portrays Ellison Oswalt, a true-crime writer, who moves to a new house with his family. However, he soon discovers that the previous owners of the house were murdered. Later, he also found videotapes containing the footage of some brutal murders committed by a demonic entity called Bughuul. The film received huge space, particularly for Hawke’s mind-blowing performance that anchors the emotional core. The sequel featured a new set of characters entangled in new killings.
7. The Ring
The Ring is all about a cursed videotape that doesn’t let you live beyond seven days once you have watched the content. The first and second film follows Journalist Rachael Keller, who investigates the case of her niece, who died a gruesome death after watching the videotape. Later, she watches it herself to investigate the matter and break the curse. Even though she manages to escape death in the first film, the vengeful spirit follows her and possesses her son to provoke her for another confrontation. The third film, titled Rings, introduces new characters to the table: a college student named Julia takes the lead, watching the videotape to protect her boyfriend and uncovering the tragic origins of Samara.
Aparna Ukil
