10 Horror Movie Sequels That Had No Right To Be This Good

7. Annabelle Comes Home

Annabelle Comes Home
Warner Bros. Pictures

The Annabelle of the wider Conjuring franchise is a fascinating figure.

Much hyped as being a key part of James Wan's The Conjuring, this terrifying little turd was ultimately a footnote in that picture. So, when horror hounds finally got to see more of Annabelle in her own self-titled 2014 movie, anticipation was high to see this creepy doll fully in the spotlight. Unfortunately, this film was a total stinker. Still, maybe Annabelle: Creation could do the sinister presence justice, right? Wrong, for that was just as bad, if not worse, than its predecessor.

By the time of Annabelle Comes Homes in 2019, the bloom was off the rose and nobody particularly cared about revisiting a character who interest in peaked six years prior.

For those who did give Comes Home a chance, they were rewarded with a surprisingly good movie that gave audiences the sinister Annabelle in the Warrens' family home. This is what we were teased with back in The Conjuring, and this threequel ticks plentiful terrifying boxes as the titular doll causes chaos for young Judy Warren while her parents are out of town.

It's not just Annabelle who shines here, mind, for Mckenna Grace's Judy, her babysitter and the 'sitter's pal are tormented by other demented apparitions, such as a coins-for-eyes ferryman, a pseudo werewolf, and a possessed, future-predicting TV set.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.