The Conjuring 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Conjuring 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Welcome to the doll's house.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 22, 2025

More than a full decade has passed since the theatrical debut and home video release of James Wan's The Conjuring, which has of course expanded to include two direct sequels (The Conjuring 2 and The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It) and spinoffs Annabelle and The Nun, each with their own follow-ups. You might think that kind of overextension would've led to franchise fatigue by now but, all told, The Conjuring and its descendents have amassed profits making it the most successful horror franchise in history. I can't say it's earned top honors from a quality standpoint, not by a long shot... but like most long-running franchises, the original film still stands on its own two feet. Warner Bros. finally gives it a welcome upgrade to 4K, aiming to replace their 2013 Blu-ray. This 4K Steelbook (if you can find it) ups the ante with collectable packaging, but disc contents remain 100% identical to the wide release.

For a synopsis and appreciation of the main feature, please see either Kenneth Brown's Blu-ray review (linked above) or Brian Orndorf's theatrical review; both give the film solid marks, and I'm in total agreement with a well-earned 4/5. The Conjuring is simply a durably entertaining effort -- one that admittedly resorts to more than a few genre clichés, but it's clearly made with a level of love and care that's missing from most of the sequels and spin-offs.

The Conjuring 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the 2013 Blu-ray, which is not included with this 4K package.

For details about this upscaled 2160p/HDR10 transfer, please see my review of the standard 4K edition.

The Conjuring 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than a new Atmos mix, this disc retains the original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track from the 2013 Blu-ray.

Optional English (SDH), Spanish, and French subtitles are all carried over from the Blu-ray during the main feature and extras, but please note that the Portuguese audio and subtitle tracks didn't make the cut this time.

The Conjuring 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in matte-finish Steelbook packaging that looks familiar to the standard 4K edition, but it backs things up even further and repositions the logo much lower in the design; this not only balances out the focal image of Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor) looking into the basement, but the logo itself now fits better with the overhead light from her match. One curious change is the removal of the clapping hands present on both the standard 4K and 2013 Blu-ray editions -- our database originally listed this as a lenticular cover (which has since been changed), so perhaps an early design proposal "animated" their appearance. The back cover continues the overwhelmingly black palette with a small clock frozen at 3:07, while the interior spread features a sepia-toned image of the Perron family, flanked by Ed and Lorraine Wilson, as they make a startling discovery in the basement. It's a good design, all things considered, staying largely faithful to the iconic poster's vibe while mixing things up a little.

On-disc extras include two new retrospective featurettes and all three legacy items from the 2013 Blu-ray.

• NEW! Scariest of Them All (7:47) - Cast and crew members return for a lightweight retrospective piece (mostly) about this first film in the *sigh* ever-expanding Conjuring universe, including actors Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, and Mackenzie Foy ("Cindy"), as well as director James Wan and a few familiar faces from the second film. This is nothing major -- favorite moments and memories, mostly -- but it also includes behind-the-scenes footage from the set, which makes it worth a look for fans of the franchise.

• NEW! Reflections on The Conjuring (6:45) - A like-minded retrospective featuring more behind-the-scenes footage and many of the same participants from the first film as well as producer Peter Safran, who collectively go into a bit more depth about The Conjuring's development and influence on its many sequels.

• The Conjuring: Face-to-Face with Fear (6:37)

• A Life in Demonology (15:37)

• Scaring the "@$*%" Out of You (8:02)

The Conjuring 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The multiple sequels and spin-offs of James Wan's The Conjuring haven't managed to water down the original, which still stands as a simple and effective exercise in horror 12 years after its theatrical debut. Warner Bros.' long-overdue UHD edition polishes the already-great 2K visuals to a shine, retains the same great lossless 5.1 audio mix, and adds in a few short new retrospective bonus features. It's not the most essential 4K upgrade in recent memory (mostly due to the strength of the earlier Blu-ray), but this Steelbook adds an extra layer of appeal to prospective buyers.