5 movies to watch on Netflix that will give you The Conjuring vibes

For many of us, spooky season lasts all year long, especially if you are a fan of horror movies. But with The Conjuring (and its direct sequels) leaving Netflix as of Sept. 30, you may be wondering if there are any similar horror movies you can still watch to get through the rest of the official spooky season.

While The Conjuring is definitely a favorite, there actually are quite a few alternatives on Netflix that are worth watching at least once. And they include at least one movie featuring Ed Warren himself, Patrick Wilson.

The Haunting in Connecticut

The fact that this story starts with a real life trauma thanks to a cancer diagnosis makes this horror movie that much more engaging. According to the very simply synopsis offered by Netflix, "A family's move to Connecticut takes a dark turn when shocking paranormal events reveal that their new home is a former mortuary with a sordid past." But that is just the beginning, as this movie gives us not just ghosts but something even more evil.

And while this movie is not directly tied to The Conjuring, it does have a connection thanks to the fact that the basis of this story comes from a case that the real Warrens (that The Conjuring movies are based on) worked on during their lifetime. It definitely makes this movie even creepier to realize that it is based on something that actually happened.

Insidious: The Red Door

Part of the Insidious franchise, this film not only stars Patrick Wilson, but it also marked his directorial debut. This film can actually be watched on its own (without having seen the other movies), but it certainly doesn't hurt to be caught up with the films before giving this one a watch. Insidious: The Red Door is all about generational trauma, but specifically revolves around the trauma associated with the malevolent spirit or demon that has been haunting one family for years.

This is the kind of film that will haunt you, as it showcases how repressed trauma can follow you no matter how far you go. And of course, the fact that the trauma centers around a demon that has been essentially torturing this one family for generations really adds to the layers of storytelling.

Malevolent

While this movie is slightly different from The Conjuring in the fact that the paranormal investigators in this film are actually frauds, the fact that things take a turn when they find themselves in an actual haunted house makes this one work as an alternative. Malevolent lives up to its name in a lot of ways, because it is clear that there is something very evil in the haunted estate that these investigators are exploring.

Released in 2018, this movie gets an added boost with the casting of Florence Pugh as one of the faux-investigators who finds herself in a very real nightmare.

Annabelle

Considering Annabelle is a spinoff of The Conjuring movies, it makes perfect sense to watch this particular horror movie as an alternative to the parent film. And considering we first see the cursed doll in the home of the Warrens, it actually feels very fitting to have this be one of our must watch horror movies on Netflix right now (especially since we don't know when it might get the boot from the platform).

All things considered, Annabelle is one of those horror movies that is impossible to ignore since it features a haunted porcelain doll that has no problem terrorizing anyone who has this doll in their possession. And as someone who finds porcelain dolls creepy to begin with, this is definitely on the list for well thought out horror.

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House is a blend of horror and mystery that was a bit of a surprise. It wasn't quite as scary as some horror movies, but it offered enough of a unique tale to keep me watching until the very end. The fact that it centers around a young nurse moving into the home of an aging author who wrote horror was what drew me in to begin with, but then as the story develops, it is the strange happenings that made me want to know what comes next.

This movie is not for every horror watcher, but the fact that it doesn't really rely on jump scares is what made me a fan of this one. It also benefits from being a bit on the more unique side in terms of storyline.