Although Vera Farmiga has most recently been seen on-screen in Marvel's Hawkeye, the actor is a veteran of numerous horror movies both great and not-so-great - here's every film ranked from worst to best. Vera Farmiga’s screen career has spanned decades, but unusually the actor did not get her start in horror. Stars ranging from Brad Pitt to Kevin Bacon have begun their careers with earlier horror roles before moving onto bigger things, but Farmiga was well into her stardom before giving the spooky side of genre filmmaking a try.
That said, the genre proved a perfect fit for Farmiga. Like Idris Elba’s many horror movies, Farmiga’s contributions to the genre started later in her career but soon took up many of her biggest movies. While Elba has since branched out into action movies and comedies, the long-running Conjuring franchise has ensured that Farmiga is mainly known as a horror star.
Hawkeye may soon change that thanks to her role as Kate Bishop’s mom, but Farmiga has more than earned her status as a modern scream queen. All told, Vera Farmiga has starred in seven horror movies throughout her career, beginning with 2009’s cult hit Orphan. While that bizarre horror was well-liked by some genre fans, it was not until 2013 that the actor returned to the genre. The original Conjuring movie was critically acclaimed and soon spawned a lucrative franchise. Farmiga has since cropped up in the 2016 sequel The Conjuring 2 and the 2018 spinoff sequel Annabelle Comes Home before taking a break from demon hunting to star in the sci-fi horror hit Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Following Godzilla, Farmiga appeared in 2021’s The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, prompting some genre fans to look back on her contributions to the genre and see which of her horror movies are the best and worst of the lot.
6. The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It
A disappointing third outing for the blockbuster franchise, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It leaned too hard into fantasy and series lore. In the process, the lengthy courtroom drama/possession horror soon forgot the small, subtle details that made the first film such a critical darling. The original Conjuring's director James Wan was busy with Giallo throwback movie Malignant, but his absence is sorely felt in the weakest movie in the Conjuring universe so far.
5. Orphan
2009’s Orphan is a fun watch, but the goofy psychological thriller is too silly to work as an effectively scary horror movie. Akin to The Good Son and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, this is one horror that is best enjoyed with tongue planted firmly in cheek and could have benefitted from taking its absurd twist to even sillier extremes. That said, the surreal story of [spoilers ahead] a psychotic thirty-something posing as a child to infiltrate Farming’s unsuspecting family is a lot more fun and inventive than the dull Nina Dobrev horror The Roommate, another attempt to revive the early ‘90s “family invasion” horror fad.
4. Annabelle Comes Home
The third Annabelle movie, Annabelle Comes Home is the strongest of the Conjuring spinoff series so far. However, that is a low bar for the second sequel to cross given how subpar Annabelle and its first sequel were. The tale of a babysitter attempting to defeat the demonic doll does feel like an R-rated Goosebumps movie in the absence of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s central roles, and Annabelle Comes Home struggles to truly scare audiences thanks to its flimsy premise. However, the sequel does pick up when Ed and Lorraine Warrens appear in the horror movie near the end and features a few fun nods to the rest of the Conjuring universe. Inessential, but still worth watching, Annabelle Comes Home is a step up from its predecessors and a step down from Wan’s movies.
3. The Conjuring 2
Almost as strong as the original, The Conjuring 2 is hurt by a padded runtime and a few over-the-top moments. Bringing the story over to England, the sequel escalates the horror with numerous memorable demonic monsters all invading the same small suburban home. By the time the demon nun, the crooked man, and the actual villain all make their appearances, the story feels a touch too over-the-top. Even so, The Conjuring 2’s early stretches are stellar. Overstuffed as it may be, it is a strong, scary sequel that earned its place in the Conjuring series and reaffirms James Wan’s “master of jump scares” status.
2. Godzilla: King of the Monsters
2018’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters was neither as dour as 2014’s Godzilla nor as straight-up fun as Godzilla Vs Kong. However, the solid middle installment is evaluated by Farmiga’s central turn as a conflicted scientist with a dark secret. As usual, the human characters aren’t the main draw here, but the genuinely surprising revelation that the usually sweet Farmiga is behind Godzilla’s rampage was a solid twist that elevated the action of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Otherwise a fun popcorn blockbuster, Godzilla: King of the Monsters earns its higher ranking thanks to Farmiga finding humanity under all the explosive action.
1. The Conjuring
Director James Wan’s horror blockbuster The Conjuring deserved the acclaim it received upon release and, although the scares are undeniably effective, the chemistry between Farming and Patrick Wilson is the beating heart of this modern classic. Perhaps Wan’s best horror movie to date, The Conjuring is all the creepier because its central duo doesn't feel like seasoned supernatural investigators. Instead, the husband and wife duo looked realistically scared and out of their depth when faced with demonic forces and self-slamming doors, resulting in much more effective horror set pieces than those on offer in the more predictable sequels. Bolstered by a strong supporting cast, including the always-superb Lili Taylor, The Conjuring is one of the strongest mainstream horror releases in years. Even after a string of spinoffs and sequels, the original haunted house horror remains a solid rewatch thanks to the committed central turns from its stars. As such, The Conjuring is comfortably Vera Farmiga’s best horror movie to date.