Every Major Cinematic Universe Ranked From Worst To Best

The low-risk, high reward nature of production has arguably positioned horror as the most lucrative genre in the industry, and the blockbuster-level success of the Conjuring universe has landed the James Wan-fronted series at the very top of the pile.

Typically, successful horror movies tend to churn out sequels on an annual basis, which usually leads to a massive drop in quality. What makes the Conjuring franchise's approach so refreshing is that it has adopted the shared universe model, and is focusing on crafting movies that offer something different than a straight-up sequel while still tying into the wider mythology.

Recurring characters (both human and supernatural) have appeared in several of the movies, as well as numerous members of the crew including writers, composers, editors and cinematographers, resulting in a greater sense of uniformity to each project.

The two Conjuring and two Annabelle features so far have earned over $1.2bn at the box office and scored decent reviews from critics and fans alike, establishing the series as the biggest brand in horror right now. With The Nun arriving later this year and The Crooked Man currently in active development, horror's answer to the MCU shows no signs of slowing down either.