Creepy dolls are an age-old horror movie trope. From Child's Play's Chucky to the creepy doll from Dolly Dearest, there is no shortage of films that revolved around possessed and/or evil children's toys. There were many creepy aspects from the first Conjuring film that would have made decent spin-off movies, but the crew ultimately chose Annabelle.
The first film to revolve completely around Annabelle hit theatres in 2014. This film - titled Annabelle - is widely regarded as one of the worst Conjuring installments. This didn't stop the people in charge from milking that creepy china doll for all she was worth, though. A second Annabelle film - Annabelle: Creation - was created in 2017 - and most recently, Annabelle Comes Home has just hit theatres.
The thing about Annabelle is that she is definitely not the scariest monster to appear in The Conjuring franchise, yet the crew treats her as if she is. This only slightly unnerving doll has been given three films of her own, but is she really as scary as we're supposed to believe? Let's take a look at a few things about Annabelle the haunted doll that just make no sense.
EXACTLY HOW MANY SPIRITS POSSESS HER?
Annabelle, like Chucky, has become a notably famous haunted doll. Unlike Chucky, the story that inspired all the Annabelle movies was supposedly true. And also unlike Chucky, there seems to be no clear consensus in any of the films that have featured Annabelle, as to just what demon - or how many demons - are inhabiting her.
In Annabelle: Creation, it was revealed that Annabelle got her name from a little girl who was tragically killed at the beginning of the film. But the little girl's spirit wasn't malicious, rather, the demon that possessed Annabelle the doll was. It seems like the stories behind the demons using Annabelle as their vessel, are constantly changing.
WE NEVER SEE HER MOVE
The Boy (2016) was notable for the fact that the evil doll its plot revolved around, was never directly seen moving or walking around. That all happened offscreen, and at the end, the reason for that was revealed, and it all made sense.
It's been noted several times that Annabelle isn't an "evil doll", she's just a vessel for evil spirits. But this is the case for quite a few dolls featured in horror movies, and they move around and wreak havoc. Annabelle, however, is never technically seen moving all on her own. It seems that the demons and spirits move her when the characters are not looking.
SHE'S REALLY A RAGGEDY-ANNE DOLL
It should be noted that movie-Annabelle looks absolutely nothing like her inspiration. The real Annabelle that remains in Ed and Lorraine Warren's occult museum, is a raggedy-ann doll. Those ancient toys can be quite creepy in their own rights, so the decision to change this detail - and completely change Annabelle's original image - doesn't really make much sense.
Sure, Annabelle's creepy. But the real Annabelle is creepier, and maybe if James Wan had of stayed true to the source, his version of Annabelle would have a lot less trouble in fulfilling her duty of being nightmare fuel.
HOW IS SHE STILL IN SUCH GOOD CONDITION?
China dolls are very breakable. It takes much more effort to destroy a raggedy-ann doll than it does to smash a china doll into a million pieces. It's understandable that the real Annabelle is basically in mint condition, but how did movie-Annabelle survive three entire films without getting as much as a crack?
Annabelle is frequently preserved in a big glass case, but then she inevitably escapes or is let out by some unsuspecting dimwit. Annabelle is always put through some brutal violence in her centric movies, so if we're being realistic, she should have been shattered a long time ago.
WHY DID THE FIRST ANNABELLE MOVIE EVEN EXIST?
The first Annabelle movie is hated by just about every fan of the Conjuring franchise. It's regarded as one of the worst - if not the worst - movie to take place in the Conjuring universe, and has a score of 29% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The original Annabelle really had absolutely nothing do to with anything. It was set in modern times, barely even mentioned the Warrens, and did not stay true to any of the Annabelle lore that the other films try to follow.
SHE IS NOT THE MOST DANGEROUS ARTIFACT
Hollywood really tries to inflate the actual scariness of Annabelle, when in actuality, there are so many artifacts in the Warrens' museum that are much more worthy of this reputation. Annabelle may give off some creepy vibes, and she may well be very dangerous, but really, it's all heresy.
WHY IS SHE SO POPULAR?
Even though Annabelle is by no means the scariest character in the Conjuring franchise, she is probably the most popular. This obviously begs the question of why? Why exactly did the crew being the franchise think it a good idea to give her three of her own movies, when there aren't even three original Conjuring movies yet.
Annabelle is creepy, but it just seems like a disservice to the entire Conjuring universe that half of the movies are all about one a semi-scary evil doll.
DIFFERENT STORIES REGARDING HER ORIGIN
Annabelle: Creation was supposed to be all about how Annabelle was made and why she was being possessed by evil spirits. Instead, we got another fairly lazy installment with little effort put into it, and a token cameo appearance by Valak the nun.
None of the three Annabelle movies can seem to make up their minds on where exactly Annabelle comes from.
WHY IS SHE A VESSEL FOR DEMONS?
On a similar note to the question of where Annabelle actually came, another discrepancy with this antagonist is why she's been a vessel for demons, for all these years. Supposedly, Annabelle has been haunted for centuries, but what about this kind of ugly looking china doll makes her so attractive to demons? This is just another thing that the crew behind the Conjuring franchise and all of the Annabelle movies, can't seem to make up their minds on.
WHY WAS SHE EVEN IN THE FIRST MOVIE?
The Conjuring (2013) was not about Annabelle. The plot of the movie had literally nothing to do with the haunted doll. It was about Ed and Lorraine Warren's investigation of the Perron family and their struggles with a demon trying to destroy their world.
But how does the film start? With a totally unnecessary scene that featured two roommates who were currently afflicted with Annabelle and her evil shenanigans. This makes absolutely no sense and is completely irrelevant to the first film - and, for that matter, any other film because these two characters never showed up again. What makes the least sense about Annabelle the doll, is the fact that The Conjuring crew are so obsessed with her, that they insert her into every single movie - even the ones that have nothing to do with her.