Every Annabelle Movie, Ranked Worst to Best

The Conjuring universe’s resident demonic doll, Annabelle, has so far starred in three films, and here’s how they stack up against each other. It may not measure up to a juggernaut like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Warner Bros. and producer James Wan still deserve a ton of credit for turning what could’ve easily been a one-off hit in The Conjuring into what should soon become a $2 billion-grossing franchise. That’s all on a combined production budget of less than $140 million.

Annabelle was the first villain to get its own Conjuring spinoff, with The Nun from The Conjuring 2 also later receiving one, and a Crooked Man movie still said to be in development. Unlike most evil dolls, Annabelle herself actually isn’t the danger, it’s the demonic entity that uses her as a conduit to malevolently interact with the real world, and the fact that Annabelle serves as a sort of beacon that attracts supernatural entities of various stripes. When Annabelle’s around, nothing good is likely to happen.

Annabelle has headlined three movies to date, and considering they’ve raked in a combined $790 million worldwide, there’s absolutely no reason to doubt that a fourth outing will materialize. For now though, it’s time to rank Annabelle’s cinematic adventures in terror.

3. Annabelle (2014)

Rarely is the first entry in a horror series the worst, but that’s definitely the case with Annabelle. That’s not to say that the first Annabelle movie is unwatchably bad, it’s just very far from good, and indulges in cliche storytelling, predictable twists, and cheap scares. As the first spinoff of The Conjuring, it came up far short of that film’s greatness, and were it not for a huge overseas gross, it’s possible this might’ve spelled an early end to the Annabelle solo line, as even diehard horror fans tended to dislike it.

2. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

While Annabelle Comes Home doesn’t quite top this list, it’s easily a huge step up from the first Annabelle, and benefits from the presence, albeit brief, of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the Warrens. The story proper centers on the Warrens’ daughter Judy, her babysitter Mary Ellen, and Mary Ellen’s troublemaker friend Daniella. When a curious Daniella proceeds to stir all of the Warrens’ cursed objects awake, the three are in for a night of sheer terror. Annabelle Comes Home is pretty good as far as mainstream theatrical horror goes, but at times also feels like a parade of the different further spinoffs Warner Bros. wants to make, as more and more monsters are introduced. Still, it works well for what it is, producing some creepy moments, effective scares, and likeable performances.

1. Annabelle: Creation (2017)

There are a lot of factors that make Annabelle: Creation the best of the Annabelle movies to date. The first is the hiring of director David F. Sandberg, fresh off his debut Lights Out, and right before he’d get the job of directing Shazam!. The second is an effective period setting that feels real, as well as a creepy old house location that starts to feel claustrophobic. The third is really great performances from its younger cast, including Lulu Wilson, who had already impressed in the prior year’s improved prequel Ouija: Origin of Evil. Add those elements to earned jump scares, some surprisingly harsh deaths, and a brilliant ending that ties back to the first film, and one has the recipe for haunted doll success.

About The Author