Name: Annabelle Comes Home
Director: Gary Dauberman
Released: 2019-06-26T16:03:00

I ventured out to watch Annabelle Comes Home at the cinema. Pre-pandemic, I went to the cinema a lot.
Firstly though, I need to say, some people can be twats at the cinema. I don’t miss the general rude behavior of some people at the theatre. I was forced to voice some support for another cinema-goer kindly asking three young lads to ‘pipe the F down.’ Their chatter’s low and consistent hum was so annoying that the woman got a small round of applause.

Cinema Etiquette, It’s Not That Hard

Later the principal perpetrator’s phone rang — twice. But I digress, eventually, they were quashed by the wrath of a half-full audience. Only then was everyone else able to enjoy the remainder of the 115 minutes of the doll possession movie. If you choose to stream Annabelle Comes Home on Netflix instead of tackling the cinema, you will probably have a better experience than I did.

A lot of fans watched Annabelle Comes Home because of writer Gary Dauberman’s reputation for scary stories. The Nun, IT, and Within (Crawlspace) have been heavily sought for some time as solid great cinema. This time he directed as well. He is responsible for many of the films in the Conjuring movie universe. But did he do a good job here? According to IMBD.com, Annabelle Creation is the most successful of this trilogy, but do you agree?

Did Annabelle Comes Home Movie Suck?

Annabelle might be enjoying her creature comforts of being at home but she brought nothing new to the table. I’m a fan of the films, and I like that they are linked up to The Conjuring movies. If you’ve seen The Curse of La Llorona, you’ll have made some connections there too. Before I stray too much into the universe that is becoming a great conversation piece for horror fans, let’s get back to Annabelle. If you plan on a chronological screening of the films, there’s a list at the end to tell you which order to see them in.

Annabelle Comes Home begins straight after the final scene in The Conjuring (2013.) The Warrens head home as the new caretakers for the larger-than-life-painted doll. They discover she has some extra powers they weren’t initially aware of. Annabelle seems to be able to conjure some Batman-type talent and throw up a ghostly signal to let all the spirits everywhere know she is about to throw a party of epic proportions and everyone’s invited.

Before Annabelle gets the chance to break out the tunes though, the Warrens lock her away. In a seethrough case made of kryptonite-strength church glass and leave her to chill out. Anyone who ventures into the locked room would know not to let her out, right?

Rule No. 1 Don’t Let Annabelle Out
Quote from the movie, Annabelle Comes Home

If you’re looking for some creepy trivia, before the release of Annabelle Comes Home, Larraine Warren died. It’s creepy because Vera Farmiga portrayed the true-life personality behind her character throughout the franchise.

Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in Annabelle Comes Home (2019) — Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren.

Annabelle and the Conjuring Movie Universe Review

The film then switches pace, and we get a handle on the family dynamic. One that shows their daughter Judy is being bullied at school. She also gets harassed by her clairvoyant abilities so she’s not particularly in a good place. On top of that, she is left alone on her birthday with her babysitter. Fortunately, Mary Ellen, who’s charged with Judy’s company for the night brings her likable character with her. The burgeoning scenes are set up for something so wholesome you’ll sometimes forget you’re even watching a horror movie.

The scares are all nice enough. I did hear some delightfully humorous sounds from a lady in the audience behind me. When Annabelle began to appear in some unusual places it seemed to get her blood pumping. Not that I’m one to talk. Jump scares get me more than the average horror fan. I guess I must get scared easily. It’s also why I love horror films so much.

I was annoyed to see a resemblance to Ghostbusters — you know the bit where someone lets all the spooks out at the same time? Well, that’s what happens here, complete with a hound from hell outside in the mist that accompanies its presence. I didn’t come for Ghostbusters. I came for Annabelle to be a freaky and scary doll. Also along for the ride were some running jokes and sentimental statements. Even though they brought a smile to my face it was out of place.

Annabelle Comes Home is a solid entry into the story. There’s always plenty going on in this horror movie and never a dull moment. The pacing was one of my favorite things about the film overall. Maybe Annabelle can invite the Marshmallow Man next time and destroy some buildings together.

I give Annabelle Comes Home

3.5 birthday candles for Judy out of 5