Annabelle Comes Home
Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artifacts room in their home, placing her “safely” behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest’s holy blessing. But an unholy night of horror awaits as Annabelle awakens the evil spirits in the room, who all set their sights on a new target—the Warrens' ten-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends.
Despite a respectable budget of $27.0M, Annabelle Comes Home became a box office phenomenon, earning $231.3M worldwide—a remarkable 756% return.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Annabelle Comes Home (2019) reveals deliberately positioned story structure, characteristic of Gary Dauberman's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 46 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Judy Warren
Mary Ellen
Daniela Rios
Lorraine Warren
Ed Warren
Bob Palmeri
Annabelle
Main Cast & Characters
Judy Warren
Played by McKenna Grace
Young daughter of Ed and Lorraine Warren who becomes the target of Annabelle's supernatural terror on her birthday.
Mary Ellen
Played by Madison Iseman
The responsible teenage babysitter tasked with watching Judy during her parents' absence.
Daniela Rios
Played by Katie Sarife
Mary Ellen's troubled friend who unknowingly unleashes Annabelle by entering the Warrens' artifact room seeking to contact her deceased father.
Lorraine Warren
Played by Vera Farmiga
Renowned paranormal investigator and clairvoyant who warns about the dangers of the artifact room before leaving.
Ed Warren
Played by Patrick Wilson
Demonologist and Lorraine's husband who helps contain supernatural entities in their locked artifact room.
Bob Palmeri
Played by Michael Cimino
Mary Ellen's boyfriend and aspiring horror filmmaker who gets caught up in the supernatural chaos.
Annabelle
Played by Various (Prop)
The demonic possessed doll that serves as a beacon for malevolent spirits when freed from her glass case.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Ed and Lorraine Warren drive home with the Annabelle doll secured in their car, establishing their role as paranormal investigators containing dangerous artifacts. The doll's malevolent presence attempts to cause a car accident.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Daniela, driven by grief over her father's recent death, sneaks into the Warren artifact room seeking to contact him. She discovers the locked case containing Annabelle despite Mary Ellen's warnings.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Daniela opens Annabelle's glass case and takes the doll out, activating its power. This irreversible choice unleashes supernatural chaos - all the Warren artifacts become active, trapping the girls in a night of terror., moving from reaction to action.
At 52 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Judy realizes Annabelle has been released and that the doll is systematically orchestrating all the hauntings to claim a soul. The stakes become clear: they must contain Annabelle or someone will die. Bob Palmeri arrives, becoming an additional victim in danger., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 78 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Annabelle successfully summons the Ferryman to claim Bob's soul. Daniela is trapped with the Bride entity. Judy is isolated and cornered by multiple spirits. Their attempts to contain the artifacts have failed, and death seems imminent for all of them., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 83 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 78% of the runtime. The girls work together using the Warrens' methods: Judy leads with psychic insight, Daniela confronts the Bride to protect others, Mary Ellen retrieves Annabelle and fights through supernatural opposition to return the doll to its case. They recite the Lord's Prayer, locking Annabelle away and banishing all the spirits., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Annabelle Comes Home's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Annabelle Comes Home against these established plot points, we can identify how Gary Dauberman utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Annabelle Comes Home within the horror genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Lake Placid, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Cat's Eye.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Ed and Lorraine Warren drive home with the Annabelle doll secured in their car, establishing their role as paranormal investigators containing dangerous artifacts. The doll's malevolent presence attempts to cause a car accident.
Theme
Lorraine warns Ed about the artifacts: "Evil is real, and it walks among us." The theme of confronting supernatural evil rather than ignoring it is established, along with the responsibility to protect others.
Worldbuilding
The Warrens lock Annabelle in their artifact room blessed by a priest. We meet their daughter Judy, who is bullied at school for her parents' work. The babysitters Mary Ellen and Daniela are introduced. Ed and Lorraine prepare to leave for an overnight investigation.
Disruption
Daniela, driven by grief over her father's recent death, sneaks into the Warren artifact room seeking to contact him. She discovers the locked case containing Annabelle despite Mary Ellen's warnings.
Resistance
Daniela explores the artifact room, examining cursed objects. Despite seeing warnings and a priest's blessing, her desperation to reach her father overrides caution. She unlocks Annabelle's case, unknowingly releasing the doll's evil influence over all the artifacts.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Daniela opens Annabelle's glass case and takes the doll out, activating its power. This irreversible choice unleashes supernatural chaos - all the Warren artifacts become active, trapping the girls in a night of terror.
Mirror World
Daniela reveals to Mary Ellen her true motivation: her father died recently and she hoped to use the Warrens' artifacts to contact him. Her grief mirrors Judy's isolation, establishing the emotional core that will drive the resolution.
Premise
The horror premise unfolds as various spirits and entities attack: the Ferryman coins animate, the haunted wedding dress appears, the Bride entity stalks them, the Black Shuck werewolf emerges. Each girl faces escalating supernatural threats throughout the Warren house.
Midpoint
Judy realizes Annabelle has been released and that the doll is systematically orchestrating all the hauntings to claim a soul. The stakes become clear: they must contain Annabelle or someone will die. Bob Palmeri arrives, becoming an additional victim in danger.
Opposition
The spirits intensify their attacks. The Ferryman stalks Bob. Daniela is terrorized by the Bride. Mary Ellen battles the possessed Annabelle doll directly. Judy uses her inherited psychic ability to track the entities, but they're overwhelmed and separated throughout the house.
Collapse
Annabelle successfully summons the Ferryman to claim Bob's soul. Daniela is trapped with the Bride entity. Judy is isolated and cornered by multiple spirits. Their attempts to contain the artifacts have failed, and death seems imminent for all of them.
Crisis
The girls face their darkest moment separated and terrified. Daniela confronts her guilt over her father's death (she was angry with him when he died). Judy must overcome her fear of her own abilities. Mary Ellen struggles to reach the artifact room.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The girls work together using the Warrens' methods: Judy leads with psychic insight, Daniela confronts the Bride to protect others, Mary Ellen retrieves Annabelle and fights through supernatural opposition to return the doll to its case. They recite the Lord's Prayer, locking Annabelle away and banishing all the spirits.