Annabelle
Warner Bros. | Release Date: October 3, 2014 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
37
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
12
Negative:
12
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleOct 2, 2014
Annabelle works enough devil figurine juju to make for a modestly hair-raising prequel to the more satisfying scares of its predecessor, "The Conjuring." Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd Oct 1, 2014
As a blunt object, a machine built to put nerves on edge and fingers over eyes, Annabelle is still crudely (and cruelly) effective. Fear comes cheap. Read full review
50
VarietyScott FoundasOct 2, 2014
When it comes to Annabelle’s five or six big stinger moments, Leonetti manages to deliver the jolts, and if audiences are sure to head home complaining about how dumb and predictable it all was, many may also find themselves nursing their significant others’ lightly bruised forearms. Read full review
50
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergOct 2, 2014
Annabelle is less cluttered with creepy bric-a-brac than “The Conjuring.” (The original director, James Wan, produced here.) But Mr. Leonetti embraces the potential of negative space. Read full review
50
Boston GlobePeter KeoughOct 2, 2014
Though it features a plucky female protagonist, Annabelle still possesses the same medieval attitude toward women as “The Conjuring,” reducing the gender to the extremes of self-sacrificing mother and malevolent toy. Read full review
50
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzOct 2, 2014
The scares don't stay with you. They're the horror-movie equivalent of junk food. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubOct 2, 2014
The script highlights an annoying lack of self-preservation on behalf of the protagonists. But the movie tries to be more than just a creepy doll freakout, and delivers the requisite scares. Read full review
50
The DissolveKeith PhippsOct 2, 2014
There’s real craftsmanship to the film, but it’s in service of a story that can’t quite support it. Read full review
50
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreOct 1, 2014
There’s nothing surprising about this late ’60s tale, including its connection to the modern ghost stories told in “The Amityville Horror” and “The Conjuring.” But what it lacks in originality it makes up with in hair-raising execution. You will scream like a teenage girl. Read full review
42
HitfixDrew McWeenyOct 3, 2014
Leonetti doesn't seem to have any particular knack for the staging of suspense or fear. Read full review
40
EmpireKim NewmanOct 6, 2014
A couple of good jumps but this Conjuring spin-off is led down by poor writing, anodyne leads and and overwhelming sense of familiarity Read full review
40
Time OutJoshua RothkopfOct 3, 2014
Centrally, the title character remains an impressive piece of propwork, and Leonetti's restraint in never animating it (à la Chucky) is the only thing worth appreciating here. Read full review
More From This Movie

37 Critic Reviews

5.0 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 71 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL