Set in 1970—prior to the events of The Conjuring —the story follows John (Ward Horton) and Mia Form (Annabelle Wallis), a young, expectant couple. John gifts Mia a rare vintage doll to add to her collection. That same night, their neighbors are brutally attacked by members of a Satanic cult. The cultists break into the Form home, and one of them—clutching the doll—slits her own throat while bleeding onto Annabelle.
What follows is a classic supernatural slow burn. As the family moves apartments to escape the trauma, they realize the evil has moved with them. The doll, seemingly moving on its own and leaving scribbled notes, becomes a conduit for a demon seeking a human soul.
While the movie's plot is a fictionalized "origin story," it is inspired by a real-life doll that resides in a museum in Connecticut.
This film is a prequel/spin-off of The Conjuring (2013) and was directed by John R. Leonetti. Annabelle (2014) - Plot - IMDb