Annabelle, the prequel to The Conjuring, travels back in time to the titular doll's earlier haunting of an unsuspecting household.

Directed by The Conjuring cinematographer John R. Leonetti, Annabelle follows expecting newlyweds Mia (Annabelle Wallis) and John Gordon (Ward Horton) after the husband proudly presents his wife with a doll she'd long been searching for. After placing the new doll in the nursery, terrible things start to occur.

'Annabelle' Reviewed

Critics expecting something as fresh as The Conjuring were sorely disappointed by the second installation starring the sinister toy. Annabelle has been accused of offering up cheap, expected frights that don't go much beyond cliche. Yet, others have found the film to be a successful spinoff of it's truly chilling predecessor. Furthermore, Alfre Woodard and Wallis are praised for their performances, as is Leonetti for his direction.

"Annabelle" is rather a guided tour of the era's possession-saga aesthetics: old-school wide shots, loud noises, showy shocks and quieter creeps. It lacks the exhilarating pull of "The Conjuring," but as a side dish of demon-doll supernatural, it suffices.” – Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

"The first jolts are genuinely scary. A Manson-family-like satanic cult unleashes a murderous rampage. The doll is tainted with demonic blood. Mia survives a stabbing and gives birth to a healthy baby. Cue a frenzied frightfest, but each successive incident renders the story more meaningless. Wallis is commendably restrained and Alfre Woodard adds class as Mia’s wise ally. But “Annabelle” is a vortex of visual clichés beyond rescue.” – Graham Fuller, New York Daily News

"Sadly, horror fans seeking wide-release mainstream films are stuck with Annabelle, a poorly conceived jumble of half-baked pretension executed entirely without joy for the benefit of the easily bamboozled. For a superior experience, go buy a disturbing-looking doll that says ''Don't go see Annabelle'' when you pull its string.” – Kyle Anderson, Entertainment Weekly

"The director, John R. Leonetti, served as the cinematographer on “The Conjuring” (2013), and the best scares in “Annabelle” involve tricks of the eye. A murder in a neighbor’s house is seen through Mia’s bedroom window. A sensational long take choreographs a home invasion. Set largely in a Santa Monica, Calif., house and an apartment in Pasadena, “Annabelle” is less cluttered with creepy bric-a-brac than “The Conjuring.” But Mr. Leonetti embraces the potential of negative space." – Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times

Annabelle is currently in theaters.