Annabelle (2014)
Movie · 2014 · Horror · 1h 39m · R · English
Curator score: 0.6/10 (725.7K ratings)
Tagline: Before the Conjuring, there was Annabelle.
A couple begins to experience terrifying supernatural occurrences involving a vintage doll shortly after their home is invaded by satanic cultists.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 0.6/10
- IMDb: 5.5/10
- Letterboxd: 2.51/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 28%
- Metacritic: 37
- TMDB: 5.8/10
Director: John R. Leonetti
Production: Atomic Monster, New Line Cinema, The Safran Company, RatPac Entertainment
Cast: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola, Alfre Woodard, Eric Ladin, Kerry O'Malley, Brian Howe, Ivar Brogger, Gabriel Bateman, Shiloh Nelson, Morganna Bridgers, Michelle Romano, Paige Diaz, Tree O'Toole, Trampas Thompson, Camden Singer, Keira Daniels, Richard Allan Jones, Christopher Shaw, Geoff Wehner
Where to watch: Max
Curator Review
Verdict: A serviceable haunted-doll horror built on jump scares, occult backstory, and a few effective creepy images, but it’s uneven and often feels like a thin setup for a larger franchise rather than a fully satisfying standalone film.
Best for: viewers who like mainstream supernatural horror with a glossy studio feel; fans of cursed-object stories and haunted-house setups; people looking for a low-commitment scare movie rather than deep psychological horror
Skip if: you want tight plotting and strong character writing; you dislike jump-scare-heavy horror; you’re already tired of possession, cult, and haunted-doll tropes
Overview: Annabelle is a polished, moderately effective piece of studio horror that knows exactly what kind of audience it is chasing. The film leans on period detail, ominous sound design, and the basic primal unease of a doll that should not be moving, but it rarely pushes beyond familiar genre beats.
Worth noting: Its strongest moments come from atmosphere and a few nasty visual ideas, while its weakest are the screenplay’s reliance on obvious scares and a story that feels mechanically assembled. The cult intrusion gives it some momentum, but the emotional stakes are thin and the characters are mostly there to be frightened.
Bottom line: If you enjoy the Conjuring-style approach to supernatural horror, this will probably do the job. If you want something sharper, stranger, or more genuinely unsettling, it may feel like a competent but forgettable detour.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- Jane Vivian: Mom: i don't want the doll in the house
*plot needs to happen*
Mom: nevermind i want the doll
- lex 👻: the scariest part of this was the close ups of her fingers in the sewing machine
- Sara Clements: Why do white baby boomers collect the weirdest shit
- 𝑘𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ*ೃ༄: annabelle really rockin that coquette core 😍😍 bet she listens to lana del rae 😍😍
- issy 🥝: imagine choosing to own a bunch of dolls in adulthood and then having the gall to be like why am I being haunted?! girl get a clue
Recommended similar titles:
- The Conjuring (2013 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 52m · R · Curator 5.8/10 (2.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
Shares the same polished supernatural-horror approach, with stronger pacing, more confident scares, and a sturdier emotional core.
- Poltergeist (1982 · Horror · 1h 54m · PG · Curator 6.0/10 (558.7K ratings) · Where to watch: TCM)
A classic domestic-haunting film that turns an ordinary home into a nightmare with memorable set pieces and broad audience appeal.
- The Others (2001 · Horror, Mystery, Thriller · 1h 41m · PG-13 · Curator 6.9/10 (955.1K ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Shudder)
Elegant, moody, and built around a sealed domestic space, with a stronger sense of dread and mystery.
- The Ring (2002 · Horror, Mystery · 1h 55m · PG-13 · Curator 3.6/10 (907.6K ratings))
A mainstream supernatural horror film with a strong cursed-object premise and a colder, more memorable sense of menace.
- Drag Me to Hell (2009 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 39m · PG-13 · Curator 9.9/10 (4.1K ratings))
If the appeal is cursed-protagonist chaos, this offers sharper energy, nastier humor, and more inventive escalation.
- Sinister (2012 · Horror, Thriller, Mystery · 1h 50m · R · Curator 3.6/10 (989.5K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium)
A darker, more disturbing modern horror film that uses found images and occult dread with greater effectiveness.
- The Babadook (2014 · Drama, Horror · 1h 34m · R · Curator 5.2/10 (1M ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, AMC+, Philo, Shudder, Sundance Now, MUBI)
For a more psychologically charged take on grief, fear, and a sinister presence invading the home.
- The Woman in Black (2012 · Drama, Horror, Thriller · 1h 35m · PG-13 · Curator 3.7/10 (3.7K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus, Philo)
A gothic ghost story with old-school atmosphere and a more sustained sense of melancholy dread.
- The Sixth Sense (1999 · Mystery, Thriller, Drama · 1h 47m · PG-13 · Curator 8.1/10 (2.4M ratings))
A prestige-leaning supernatural thriller that balances haunting imagery with stronger character work and emotional payoff.
- The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005 · Crime, Drama, Horror · 2h 2m · PG-13 · Curator 2.0/10 (293.3K ratings))
If the occult and religious elements are the draw, this offers a more serious, courtroom-inflected approach to possession horror.
- Mama (2013 · Horror · 1h 40m · PG-13 · Curator 1.5/10 (416.8K ratings))
A mainstream ghost story with a similar emotional setup and a stronger emphasis on spectral atmosphere.
- The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021 · Horror, Mystery, Thriller · 1h 51m · R · Curator 1.3/10 (833.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
For audiences who want more of the same franchise-adjacent occult investigation and possession-driven scares.
Topics: supernatural horror, haunted doll, occult, jump scares, cursed object, home invasion, religious dread, 1970s setting, mainstream horror, atmospheric
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/annabelle/250546
Annabelle (2014)
Movie · 2014 · Horror · 1h 39m · R · English
Curator score: 0.6/10 (725.7K ratings)
Before the Conjuring, there was Annabelle.
Overview A couple begins to experience terrifying supernatural occurrences involving a vintage doll shortly after their home is invaded by satanic cultists.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.6/10
IMDb: 5.5/10
Letterboxd: 2.51/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 28%
Metacritic: 37
TMDB: 5.8/10
Production Atomic Monster, New Line Cinema, The Safran Company, RatPac Entertainment
Cast Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola, Alfre Woodard, Eric Ladin, Kerry O'Malley, Brian Howe, Ivar Brogger, Gabriel Bateman, Shiloh Nelson, Morganna Bridgers, Michelle Romano, Paige Diaz, Tree O'Toole, Trampas Thompson, Camden Singer, Keira Daniels, Richard Allan Jones, Christopher Shaw, Geoff Wehner
Curator Review
Verdict
A serviceable haunted-doll horror built on jump scares, occult backstory, and a few effective creepy images, but it’s uneven and often feels like a thin setup for a larger franchise rather than a fully satisfying standalone film.
Best for
viewers who like mainstream supernatural horror with a glossy studio feel
fans of cursed-object stories and haunted-house setups
people looking for a low-commitment scare movie rather than deep psychological horror
Skip if
you want tight plotting and strong character writing
you dislike jump-scare-heavy horror
you’re already tired of possession, cult, and haunted-doll tropes
Overview
Annabelle is a polished, moderately effective piece of studio horror that knows exactly what kind of audience it is chasing. The film leans on period detail, ominous sound design, and the basic primal unease of a doll that should not be moving, but it rarely pushes beyond familiar genre beats.
Worth noting
Its strongest moments come from atmosphere and a few nasty visual ideas, while its weakest are the screenplay’s reliance on obvious scares and a story that feels mechanically assembled. The cult intrusion gives it some momentum, but the emotional stakes are thin and the characters are mostly there to be frightened.
Bottom line
If you enjoy the Conjuring-style approach to supernatural horror, this will probably do the job. If you want something sharper, stranger, or more genuinely unsettling, it may feel like a competent but forgettable detour.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Jane Vivian (1★) · 3454 likes
Mom: i don't want the doll in the house
*plot needs to happen*
Mom: nevermind i want the doll
lex 👻 (2★) · 2706 likes
the scariest part of this was the close ups of her fingers in the sewing machine
Sara Clements (2★) · 2690 likes
Why do white baby boomers collect the weirdest shit
𝑘𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ*ೃ༄ (2★) · 1712 likes
annabelle really rockin that coquette core 😍😍 bet she listens to lana del rae 😍😍
issy 🥝 · 1683 likes
imagine choosing to own a bunch of dolls in adulthood and then having the gall to be like why am I being haunted?! girl get a clue
Recommended similar titles
2013 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 52m · R · Curator 5.8/10 (2.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
Shares the same polished supernatural-horror approach, with stronger pacing, more confident scares, and a sturdier emotional core.
1982 · Horror · 1h 54m · PG · Curator 6.0/10 (558.7K ratings) · Where to watch: TCM
A classic domestic-haunting film that turns an ordinary home into a nightmare with memorable set pieces and broad audience appeal.
2001 · Horror, Mystery, Thriller · 1h 41m · PG-13 · Curator 6.9/10 (955.1K ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Shudder
Elegant, moody, and built around a sealed domestic space, with a stronger sense of dread and mystery.
2002 · Horror, Mystery · 1h 55m · PG-13 · Curator 3.6/10 (907.6K ratings)
A mainstream supernatural horror film with a strong cursed-object premise and a colder, more memorable sense of menace.
2009 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 39m · PG-13 · Curator 9.9/10 (4.1K ratings)
If the appeal is cursed-protagonist chaos, this offers sharper energy, nastier humor, and more inventive escalation.
2012 · Horror, Thriller, Mystery · 1h 50m · R · Curator 3.6/10 (989.5K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium
A darker, more disturbing modern horror film that uses found images and occult dread with greater effectiveness.
2014 · Drama, Horror · 1h 34m · R · Curator 5.2/10 (1M ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, AMC+, Philo, Shudder, Sundance Now, MUBI
For a more psychologically charged take on grief, fear, and a sinister presence invading the home.
2012 · Drama, Horror, Thriller · 1h 35m · PG-13 · Curator 3.7/10 (3.7K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus, Philo
A gothic ghost story with old-school atmosphere and a more sustained sense of melancholy dread.
1999 · Mystery, Thriller, Drama · 1h 47m · PG-13 · Curator 8.1/10 (2.4M ratings)
A prestige-leaning supernatural thriller that balances haunting imagery with stronger character work and emotional payoff.
2005 · Crime, Drama, Horror · 2h 2m · PG-13 · Curator 2.0/10 (293.3K ratings)
If the occult and religious elements are the draw, this offers a more serious, courtroom-inflected approach to possession horror.
2013 · Horror · 1h 40m · PG-13 · Curator 1.5/10 (416.8K ratings)
A mainstream ghost story with a similar emotional setup and a stronger emphasis on spectral atmosphere.
2021 · Horror, Mystery, Thriller · 1h 51m · R · Curator 1.3/10 (833.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For audiences who want more of the same franchise-adjacent occult investigation and possession-driven scares.
Topics
supernatural horror, haunted doll, occult, jump scares, cursed object, home invasion, religious dread, 1970s setting, mainstream horror, atmospheric
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