Some doors should not be opened; especially, if Annabelle lies behind the door!!
Annabelle Comes Home is a 2019 American supernatural horror film. It is the seventh installment in the Conjuring Universe franchise and serves as a sequel to Annabelle (2014) and Annabelle: Creation (2017).
The movie begins with demonologists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren bringing the Annabelle doll, which is possessed, to their home in the year 1971. They acquire this doll from two nurses, Debbie and Camilla, who claim that the doll executed violent activities in their apartment. In the presence of Father Gordon (Steve Coulter), Ed and Lorraine place the doll in a sanctified glass box present in their artifacts room. Father Gordon blesses the box before it is locked off with a written message that the box should not be opened.
Ed and Lorraine’s daughter Judy (Mckenna Grace) is a schoolgirl and even she possesses psychic powers like her mom. She can feel the presence of spirits around her and even see a few of them, including the spirit of a strange priest. The Warren couple entrusts the job of babysitting their daughter to Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman) when they are out for investigating a case. Judy and Mary have an uninvited visitor in the form of Mary’s friend Daniela (Katie Sarife), who comes with the motto of connecting with her dead dad using the artifacts present in the attic of the Warren house.
Daniela tricks Mary and Judy and is successful in sending them out of the house. She even manages to sneak in the artifacts room and starts exploring the artifacts kept there. Every item present in that room is evil, cursed, or used in spirit-calling practices. But the most malevolent artifact in that entire room is Annabelle!! Daniela tries to connect with her late father using an artifact called Mourner’s Bracelet.
Was Daniela's entering the forbidden room a wise decision? Is Daniela successful in connecting with her dad? Does Daniela free Annabelle from the room? Do Mary and Judy return home? Are the three of them prepared for a possibility that they could be trapped in a house full of spirits? The answers to all these questions form the crux of the movie.
The pace of the movie is slow in the first half; however, it picks up pace in the second half. The movie has several scary scenes which will bring you to the edge of the chair. Another interesting aspect of the movie is the suspense that builds up with every scene. Just as you expect that a spirit is going to be seen in the next frame, nothing happens and suddenly the spirit appears catching you unawares. If you are an ardent follower of the Conjuring franchise, you can relate with the spirits of the Ferryman, the Bride, the Samurai Armor, a Feeley Meeley board game, and a Hellhound. The movie is both engaging and interesting.
Mckenna Grace, as the young Judy Warren, is impressive. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play a sort of a cameo in the entire film. If you watch this movie for the Warren couple, you will be disappointed as they do not have much screen time. Madison Iseman and Katie Sarife have also done justice to their roles.
The weakest part of this entire film is the story. The film was excellent in parts but when you try to put all scenes in perspective you will find that the story is missing. The movie was much better than the previous Annabelle movies. However, the horror quotient in this edition is negligible compared to the Conjuring movies. When a house is full of spirits, several possibilities could have been shown. However, the movie never went deep in the ocean of horror. It just touched shallow waters.
The direction by Gary Dauberman is promising, and he has co-written the story with James Wan. The background music of the movie has a haunting effect on you. The cinematography appears to be patchy considering several scenes are shot in the dark. In many scenes, you cannot see even the characters clearly. Overall the intent of the movie was good; however, it did not have anything new that we did not see in the previous franchises.
WMR Verdict:
The movie is intriguing, thrilling, and gripping but in parts. It is certainly not at par with the Conjuring series. The background score and suddenly appearing spirits may have a startling effect on you. If you wish to watch this movie in theatres, do not watch it alone. It would be a great idea to watch this movie with your friends and loved ones.
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