Horror franchises have an advantage that other genres envy: they can be watched repeatedly without losing much, because the pleasure comes from anticipation rather than surprise. That makes them ideal catalogue titles, which is why a long-running series of possession films can quietly become one of the most-watched offerings on a streaming service years after its theatrical run ended. The audience is broader than the marketing suggests. Some viewers are revisiting; many are discovering, drawn by reputation and by the fact that the films are easy to sample. What keeps a franchise alive in that environment is consistency. A strong central premise, a recurring investigator figure and a formula that can be varied without being abandoned give viewers a reason to continue. The commercial result is a reminder that streaming rewards libraries, not individual releases, and that a series with several installments can outperform a newer title simply by being available in full. For anyone new to the franchise, the logical starting point is still the earliest film rather than the most recent one.
Not just a box office smash,Obsessionalso earned some of the best reviews of any film so far this year. Collider'sHannah Huntpraised the film's "phenomenal performances, disciplined storytelling, excellent sound design, and an atmosphere of constant emotional suffocation"in her review, one of many glowing responses to a true horror gem. ButObsession's inevitable rise up the Netflix ranks is still a couple of weeks away, with another modern horror favorite storming the streaming charts right now.
Your instincts, your strengths, and your particular way of thinking under pressure point to one villain you actually have a fighting chance against. Everyone else — good luck.
Jason is relentless, but he is also predictable — and that is the gap you would exploit.
Michael watches before he moves. He is patient, methodical, and almost impossible to detect — until it's too late for anyone who isn't paying close enough attention.
Freddy wins by getting inside your head — using your own fears, your own memories, your own subconscious as weapons against you. That strategy requires a target who can be destabilised.
Pennywise is ancient, shapeshifting, and feeds on terror — but it has one critical vulnerability: it cannot function against someone who genuinely stops being afraid of it.
Chucky's greatest advantage is that nobody takes him seriously until it's already too late. He exploits the gap between how something looks and what it actually is.
The film in question is 2013'sThe Conjuring, the first in a beloved modern horror franchise that has now spanned nine films. The introduction toVera FarmigaandPatrick Wilson's paranormal investigators, Lorraine and Ed Warren, scored a huge $316 million at the global box office during an impressive theatrical run against a reported production budget of just $20 million. The film also received acclaim from critics, illustrated by a "certified fresh" 86% average score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. At the time of writing,The Conjuringis one of the ten most-watched movies on HBO Max in the U.S., a list topped byOlivia Wilde's 2026 gem,The Invite.
'The Conjuring Universe' Returns Next Year
The haunting on the big screen continues next year withThe Conjuring: First Communion, thetenth installment in the long-running series. From Atomic Monster and thePeter SafranCompany, the film will be released just in time for Halloween on September 10, 2027.Rodrigue Huart(Réel,Transylvanie) will direct the latest installment, withRichard NaingandIan Goldbergback to pen the screenplay followingLast Rites,this time joined byDavid Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick.
The Conjuringis one of the ten most-watched movies on HBO Max in the U.S. Stay tuned to Collider for more.
The Conjuring
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