Annabelle Comes Homes (2019)

Director: Gary Dauberman

Starring: McKenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga

Primary genre: Horror

Secondary genre: Supernatural

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Nothing here that will surprise you if you have followed the previous sequels, spin offs and prequels of “The Conjuring” (2013 - Present) universe. The cursed doll is being mischievous again but there is a twist: all the horror proceedings are happening inside the Warren's house.

After being released from the box by a curious outsider, all hell breaks loose. However, the common trope of the-curiosity-killed-the-cat logic gets a rather solid explanation that disperses the individual's (stupid) decisions and actions which is a welcome addition. Director writer Gary Dauberman attempts to include a bit of humor to break the tension and sharply chararacterizes its main protagonists trio. Yet, in unspectacular fashion, doors creak, demonic visions occur, eerie sounds are being heard with telegraphic style leading to an inevitable climax that is not as engaging as it wants to be. .

Dauberman has taken couple of notes from James Wan and he seems to be able to imitate his “Insidious“ (2011) filmmaking style with enough confidence despite the lack of novelty in the story. There are a couple of well established creepy shots, with a limited amount of jump scares. His direction emphasizes atmosphere first and a slow build up, helped by (as it is to be expected) exquisite sound design. He is doing his best to establish the terror factor by observing a rather simple and innocent object that could hide a malicious presence within. Yet, his reliance on (some) CGI ghouls detracts from any benign intentions as their frequent use diminishes their effectiveness while his usage of the doll’s famous antics (“miss me?”) starts feeling stale after three films in a row. This produces a dated Deja Vu visual style in the now seventh entry of “The Conjuring” universe that screams “change”.

A limited cast makes this installment more focused. Young Mckenna Grace is not the typically annoying dorky child and provides an interesting esoteric strength that propels the film and elevates her sequences with her babysitter (Madison Iseman). Iseman and Katie Sarife are doing the best they can with the limited material they are given (Madison is the too good to be true girl next door whereas Katie is the rogue bad one) but they are likable enough to allow you some investment. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga - in extended cameos - who can play these roles in their sleep, still remain relatable and they get to flex more here their acting parental muscles in a series that never lacked a bit of heart.

"Annabelle Comes Home" is exactly what you expect it to be. A nicely crafted supernatural horror film with the eponymous demonic doll that bears no surprises. It ties up the story in a mostly satisfying and fun manner with limited expectations. Besides some hiccups along the way, at the end this threequel is a worthy conclusion.

Formulaic but fun

+Main cast

+Great sound design

+Atmosphere

+Fun

+Limited jump scares

-Some decisions

-Same scare tactics

-CGI spooks