Annabelle, an effective prequel to horror pastiche The Conjuring, surpasses its predecessor simply by virtue of occasionally being scary.
– Simon Abrams,
Village Voice,
3 Oct 2014
rotten:
What we mostly get in Annabelle is what we've gotten from so many other horror films: creaking floors, funky white-robed figures, home appliances that go off on their own, mysterious writing that shows up in mysterious places.
– Bilge Ebiri,
New York Magazine/Vulture,
3 Oct 2014
rotten:
What about this movie is supposed to scare us?
– Wesley Morris,
Grantland,
10 Oct 2014
fresh:
The script, by Gary Dauberman, is a cliched mess, lacking humor and surprises. But Leonetti stages some fright-worthy sequences ...
– Bruce Diones,
New Yorker,
13 Oct 2014
fresh:
Quality is often irrelevant in a horror movie; shock is the key.