Baron asked me to review another film from The Conjuring series so I decided on Annabelle since it’s the prequel to The Conjuring [2013] that I previously reviewed. I do enjoy the movies in this franchise so this may not be my last. Annabelle was directed by John R. Leonetti (The Silence [2019]) and had screenwriter Gary Dauberman (The Nun [2008]); even though he didn’t direct the film James Wan (Saw [2004]) still is attached to the film this time a producer.

Tony Amendola, Ward Horton, and Annabelle Wallis

The movie opens with three roommates scared to death of the doll that their grandmother gave to them when she purchased it an antique store. This is how we know it’s a prequel as it brings in The Warrens, if you remember at the end of The Conjuring you see Annabelle locked in a display case and it’s the same doll. The movie then jumps to a year later with Mia (Annabelle Wallis (Ghost Town [2009]), John (Ward Horton (Annabelle Creation [2014]) with their neighbors Pete (Brian Howe (Havenhurst [2016])) and Sharon (Kerry O’Malley (Case 39 [2009])) coming home from church and going into their homes right next to each other. John is working a lot of hours due to being a resident and becoming a doctor so he feels bad and gives Mia a gift which is a doll, Annabelle. You see, Mia collects dolls so she was so excited to have another one added to her collection. That night Mia hears screams from the neighbor’s house and John goes to check it out and it turn out that their estranged daughter Annabelle and her boyfriend are there and kills them. She and her companion are part of a satanic cult and Annabelle wants the doll back. The killers then make their way to John and Mia’s house and stab pregnant Mia. John comes and tries to ward off them both and then the police show up and kill the man and Annabelle kills herself while holding the doll.

Thankfully the unborn baby is safe but Mia is put on bedrest so they return home. Strange things start occurring in the house like the sewing machine working up with while they’re in bed, music playing, and TV acting up. John is up for a promotion so he must go to a convention and leaves Mia, but before leaving he throughs the Annabelle doll into a trashcan outside their house many crazy things start occurring and then their house catches fire, Mia is taken to the hospital and delivers her baby. Soon after they move to Pasadena and get settled in, while unpacking they see that the doll is at the bottom of one of the boxes and John wants to get rid of it but she says no since it was a gift from him. She then meets another neighbor and bookstore owner Evelyn (Alfre Woodard (Lost Souls [2000]) who turns out to be an important part of the story. Strange things continue to happen due to the doll so Father Perez (Tony Amendola (The Curse of La Llorona [2019]) makes a visit and explains that the doll is a conduit of evil and wants a soul. The bad things happening are due to the that evil so he takes the doll. When he gets back to the church he is attacked by this evil and is hospitalized. John finds out that the doll has returned to the apartment and ideally wants the soul of their baby but since a baby can’t give the soul it wants Mia’s instead. I don’t want to give away the ending for those who haven’t seen it so who’s soul do you think the doll got?

It’s funny that prequels are only made if the main movie is a success. Obviously, The Conjuring was a major hit since there’s what’s called “The Conjuring Universe” with many films tagged with it, as you can see the list below. If you’re looking for a good scare this movie is for you. Before I go… at the beginning of the review I mentioned the grandmother buying the Annabelle doll of her granddaughter, well you see that scene at the very end.

TAGLINE:

• Before The Conjuring there was Annabelle

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322940/

IMDb Rating: 5.4/10

3C Rating: 5.5/10

Conjuring Films:

The Conjuring [2013]

The Conjuring 2 [2016]

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It [2021]

The Conjuring: Last Writes – Pre-Production

Spin Offs:

Annabelle [2014]

Annabelle: Creation [2017]

The Nun [2018]

The Curse of La Llorona [2019]

Annabelle Comes Home [2019]

The Nun II [2023]