Annabelle (2014)
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A young couple's life is haunted by a demonic spirit tied to a vintage porcelain doll after a violent home invasion.
The story
In 1967, in Santa Monica, California, a medical student, John Form, gives his expectant wife, Mia, a rare vintage porcelain doll as a gift for their first child. That night, the couple is disturbed by the sounds of their neighbors being murdered during a home invasion. While Mia calls the police, she and John are attacked by the killers. In the aftermath, a series of paranormal activities begin to plague their residence. After giving birth to a daughter, the family moves to an apartment in Pasadena, where they discover the doll again, triggering further supernatural events and a realization that a demonic spirit is seeking a human soul.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1967, John Form and his wife Mia receive a vintage porcelain doll. Following a home invasion where their neighbors are murdered by cult members, the couple is attacked. The attackers are identified as the neighbors' daughter, Annabelle, and her boyfriend. After Mia gives birth to daughter Leah, the family moves to Pasadena. They find the doll again, and it triggers a series of paranormal events. Mia learns from a neighbor, Evelyn, that the doll is inhabited by a demon seeking a soul. When a priest, Father Perez, attempts to help, the demon takes his form to abduct Leah. To save her daughter, Mia tries to jump from a window, but is stopped by John and Evelyn. Evelyn sacrifices herself to distract the demon, causing it and the doll to disappear. Six months later, a mother buys the doll from an antique shop, where it is eventually stored in the Warrens' artifact room.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 99
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John R. Leonetti
- Writers
- Gary Dauberman · writer
- Cast and characters
- Annabelle Wallis; Ward Horton; Alfre Woodard
- Genres
- supernatural horror; pregnancy; religious horror
- Themes
- Satanism; Possession
- Tone and mood
- horror; suspenseful
- Premise and plot tags
- haunted doll; prequel; spin-off
- Source material / true-story basis
- a story about a doll named Annabelle popularized by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren
- Franchise connections
- The Conjuring Universe
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics, who often compared it unfavorably to its predecessor, but it was a significant commercial success.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 37 · scale: 100 · review count: 27; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The set was reported by the director and producer as being 'haunted'.; The film was produced on a budget of $6.5 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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