7 James Wan's Horror Movies, Ranked From Nightmare Fuel to Not-Scary-At-All by IMDb

James Wan is more of an author than a director – having tested his skills as a director, he then guides viewers through his worlds while allowing others to helm his stories.

However, in most cases, the films that Wan directed remain the best in the entire franchise, even after many years. Let's take a look at all of the directorial works of the main horror filmmaker of the 21st century – from a not-so-successful attempt to his magnum opus.

7. 'Dead Silence', 2007

IMDb Score: 6.1/10

Dead Silence can be considered James Wan's rehearsal for The Conjuring. It features a ventriloquist doll, a cursed old house, and devilry connected to a town's past.

While the movie follows classic tropes of the 2000s, such as impulsive editing and jumpscares, it captivates with the design of the doll and the sound of an old children's song.

Newlyweds Jamie and Lisa receive a gift with no return address containing a ventriloquist doll. That same evening, Lisa is brutally killed, and Jamie, the main suspect, decides to solve her mysterious death himself.

6. 'Malignant', 2021

IMDb Score: 6.2/10

Malignant was Wan's long-awaited return to indie horror. There was no studio oversight or age rating – only the author's vision. At the same time, it's a return to the roots. Malignant refers to the aesthetics of his early directorial work with more murders, crazy twists, and bold decisions.

Malignant is more of a terribly funny movie than a scary one. Its only goal is to provide excellent entertainment, without any hint of starting a new franchise.

Madison, who lost her child in an attack by a mysterious monster, is discharged from the hospital. Every night, eerie sounds are heard from the first floor, and shadows run along the walls. Soon, Madison will begin to fall into an ominous trance.

5. 'Insidious: Chapter 2', 2013

IMDb Score: 6.6/10

From the opening credits of Insidious: Chapter 2 until the very end, we are kept in absolute suspense. It is incredibly difficult to predict the plot twists because the nonlinear narrative confuses the viewers.

Most importantly, this is where the sci-fi elements begin to appear: the characters travel in space and time, meeting younger versions of themselves.

At the same time, Wan maintains the social context established in the original film. The discourse on marital crises is further enriched by dialogues on domestic violence.

4. 'Insidious', 2010

IMDb Score: 6.8/10

This was James Wan's first big step towards Hollywood franchises and global success. After the success of Saw, which paid for itself a hundredfold, it seemed that the director would not be able to surprise producers. However, Insidious collected almost as much as Saw did – $99 million.

Josh and his family move into a new house where strange things begin to happen: objects move at night, and their son suddenly falls into a coma a few days later.

It soon becomes clear that he has the ability to enter the astral world and is now on the border of the world of the dead. The only way to save the boy is to follow him.

3. 'The Conjuring 2', 2016

IMDb Score: 7.3/10

After the first Conjuring film, it was unclear how Wan was going to raise the bar. Repeating himself would have been too easy, and the director had hardly worked on sequels before. The Conjuring 2 may not live up to the original, but Wan managed to make a film as sincere as the first, continuing its themes.

The sequel was written and filmed as masterfully as the original, and comparing Wan's duology with the threequel makes it clear that the franchise lost a lot with the change in directors.

Single mother Peggy suffers from supernatural phenomena. It starts with her daughter, and the manifestations of evil spirits become obvious even to strangers. The poltergeist becomes so powerful that even Ed and Lorraine are terrified.

2. 'The Conjuring', 2013

IMDb Score: 7.5/10

This is the director's magnum opus and perhaps his most famous work. Hardly anyone could have imagined that the story of a family of exorcists would be so successful. Years later, the film has grown into an entire universe.

The first two Conjuring films continue to receive critical acclaim from viewers and critics alike: no matter how hard other directors try to copy Wan's style, they cannot replicate the original author's vision.

In The Conjuring, the Warrens go to a cursed old house to save the Perrons, who have recently moved in, from a demon about to possess one of them.

1. 'Saw', 2004

IMDb Score: 7.6/10

This is a classic of the genre that was filmed under such harsh circumstances that it might not have existed at all. Film school graduates James Wan and Leigh Whannell conceived the idea for a dark thriller about a survival game.

Two strangers find themselves in an isolated room with their legs chained to pipes. A saw lies next to each of them, and to escape, they must follow the instructions of the mysterious Jigsaw.

The crew settled into an abandoned warehouse and worked nearly nonstop while filming the key scenes in a cramped bathroom.