Annabelle Comes Home is the third chapter in the Annabelle franchise and seventh in the wider Conjuring Universe from which the manevolent doll was spawned. The series of films, based upon real-life cases of paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, is almost like the Marvel Cinematic Universe of the horror world: inter-connected entertainment that has changed the way we see the genre. Does the latest sequel rustle up some suitable scares or should we lock this particular sub-series away for eternity?
Ed and Lorraine Warren lock the cursed Annabelle in their own artefact room, behind sacred glass which they have blessed weekly by a priest in order to contain and prevent her evil presence from spreading -- but when it latches on to a new victim, the Warren's daughter, and acts as a beacon to other spirits, more horrors may be unleashed onto the world. Directed by Gary Dauberman in his directorial debut, Annabelle Comes Home follows in the footsteps of the abysmal The Nun (2018) and The Curse of La Llorona (2019) - in which Annabelle herself made a cameo! - and will hope to put the universe back on terrifying track.
Annabelle Comes Home is a serviceable horror that neither sinks to the lows of the 2014 original or reaches the heights of the 2017 Creation sequel. A fine but unremarkable threequel that would appear to organically close this chapter of the paranormal tale, Annabelle Comes Home gets the job done if little else. Dauberman's screenplay tells a simple story with little in the way of personality or flair and while still entertaining, isn't likely to leave much of an impression once the credits have rolled.
Stuffed with imagery and cases that never feel fully formed but are sure to be mined for future films, there is a lot going on in Annabelle Comes Home and it leads to a rather spoardic experience; Annabelle as the core evil is the anchor, but whenever we diverge from her, it feels frustratingly uneven and unfufilling. It also results in an atmosphere that isn't as well-sustained as it should be, as even with some potent, well-constructed jump scares and set pieces peppered throughout, the constant back and forth between evil entities stiffles some tension. Dauberman leans on the impressive production design for tonal support, as well as Joseph Bishara's decent score.
Annabelle Comes Homes' established actors are reliably strong in roles they know like the back of their hand. More Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the Warrens would not hurt, but the fanfavourites are used rather effectively in bookending this chapter, their presence granting the film additional weight. Furthermore, Mckenna Grace continues to cement her status as one of the most consistent young actresses as the Warrens' daughter, selling Judy's fear and isolation with gusto. Madison Iseman and Katie Sarife contributions are solid, elevating the characters beyond broader horror archetypes.
Annabelle Comes Home is a serviceable genre effort that won't inspire much in the way of excitement but will hardly register as a complete waste of time, with some solid thrills and strong performances easing a general lack of creativity. The uneven Annabelle series is a microcosm of the wider Conjuring universe, which has similarly suffered in a varied level of quality: for both the mother series and the sister series, Annabelle Comes Home lands square middle-of-the-road, scaring up some fear but not enough to leave its mark.
5.5/10
Summary: Fans of the Conjuring series will find Annabelle Comes Home entertaining enough - particularly after two sub-standard entries - but there may not be enough here to encourage more casual cinemagoers to witness the malevolent doll's homecoming.
Ed and Lorraine Warren lock the cursed Annabelle in their own artefact room, behind sacred glass which they have blessed weekly by a priest in order to contain and prevent her evil presence from spreading -- but when it latches on to a new victim, the Warren's daughter, and acts as a beacon to other spirits, more horrors may be unleashed onto the world. Directed by Gary Dauberman in his directorial debut, Annabelle Comes Home follows in the footsteps of the abysmal The Nun (2018) and The Curse of La Llorona (2019) - in which Annabelle herself made a cameo! - and will hope to put the universe back on terrifying track.
Annabelle Comes Home is a serviceable horror that neither sinks to the lows of the 2014 original or reaches the heights of the 2017 Creation sequel. A fine but unremarkable threequel that would appear to organically close this chapter of the paranormal tale, Annabelle Comes Home gets the job done if little else. Dauberman's screenplay tells a simple story with little in the way of personality or flair and while still entertaining, isn't likely to leave much of an impression once the credits have rolled.
Stuffed with imagery and cases that never feel fully formed but are sure to be mined for future films, there is a lot going on in Annabelle Comes Home and it leads to a rather spoardic experience; Annabelle as the core evil is the anchor, but whenever we diverge from her, it feels frustratingly uneven and unfufilling. It also results in an atmosphere that isn't as well-sustained as it should be, as even with some potent, well-constructed jump scares and set pieces peppered throughout, the constant back and forth between evil entities stiffles some tension. Dauberman leans on the impressive production design for tonal support, as well as Joseph Bishara's decent score.
Annabelle Comes Homes' established actors are reliably strong in roles they know like the back of their hand. More Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the Warrens would not hurt, but the fanfavourites are used rather effectively in bookending this chapter, their presence granting the film additional weight. Furthermore, Mckenna Grace continues to cement her status as one of the most consistent young actresses as the Warrens' daughter, selling Judy's fear and isolation with gusto. Madison Iseman and Katie Sarife contributions are solid, elevating the characters beyond broader horror archetypes.
Annabelle Comes Home is a serviceable genre effort that won't inspire much in the way of excitement but will hardly register as a complete waste of time, with some solid thrills and strong performances easing a general lack of creativity. The uneven Annabelle series is a microcosm of the wider Conjuring universe, which has similarly suffered in a varied level of quality: for both the mother series and the sister series, Annabelle Comes Home lands square middle-of-the-road, scaring up some fear but not enough to leave its mark.
5.5/10
Summary: Fans of the Conjuring series will find Annabelle Comes Home entertaining enough - particularly after two sub-standard entries - but there may not be enough here to encourage more casual cinemagoers to witness the malevolent doll's homecoming.