A sequel, "Annabelle: Creation", was released in 2017, which received generally positive reviews. A third film, "Annabelle Comes Home", was released in 2019, which received mixed reviews.
The film drags in the middle. After the initial attack, there’s a long stretch where Mia just sits at home, looks scared, and things go bump in the night. The move from the apartment to a suburban house feels like a reset button, and the third act devolves into a repetitive “Mia runs, doll appears, demon screams” loop.
The rules of the demon are confusing. Why does it need a soul? Why is it fixated on the doll? The film introduces a helpful bookstore owner, Evelyn (Alfre Woodard), who gives a rushed exposition dump about a demon that “needs a soul to inhabit,” but it’s vague and contradictory. The final sacrifice is supposed to be poignant, but it feels unearned.
However, some critics noted that the film's storyline was somewhat predictable and that the characters were underdeveloped. The film's pacing was also criticized for being uneven.