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‘Annabelle Comes Home’ a Movie Review

JUELS TALKS plot, characters, cinematography and more. Spoilers are destined, so read at your own risk.

By Juels GPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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'Annabelle Comes Home' Movie Trailer

The third installment of the Anabelle series, Annabelle Comes Home, is severely... disappointing for lack of a better word. It is not unlike an extended preview for movies soon to come, almost like the writers are saying “yes there will be many spinoffs,” which is great if you’re a fan of The Conjuring universe, but not so great if you watch to actually feel some sort of, oh I don’t know, terror.

There are jump scares—an exhausting amount—and the majority of them are all incredibly predictable, (yes, we know she shouldn’t open that container because naturally she won’t be able to close it back.) The predictability assuredly results from the parallelism in scenes from other horror movie classics and even contemporary horrors, including its very own The Conjuring.

In fact, even the characters are cliche, nothing atypical from any other scary movie. As expected there is Ed and Lorraine, the supernatural investigators, though their cameo is brief. The couple are featured in the beginning to collect Annabelle, but of course near death experiences occur. Despite the obstacles, the two still manage to return the conduit doll to its container. Ed and Lorraine are on leave for the majority of the movie, because, holding such gifts as demonologists leave them rightfully busy. From then on we are introduced to the the Warrens' daughter, Judy, who has developed some higher abilities from her mother (which she keeps a secret,) and we also meet the babysitter, Mary Ellen. Next Mary Ellen's crush, Bob, and her snooping friend Daniella are introduced, which basically gets the plot moving, sort of. Daniella is the main troublemaker in the film; she snakes (*sneaks) her way into the Warren household with Judy and Mary Ellen, only to purposely unleash the potent energy of the Annabelle doll, which in turn, unleashes the other evil energies of the many possessed items in the Warren household basement, because it solely serves as an evil entity keepsake.

Thus, the plot is utterly unfulfilling. Viewers can accurately predict the ending within the first twenty minutes. Good versus evil is thematic, as it is in most movies of this universe, and no surprise here but the good prevails. After the big scary demons attempt horrific soul-snatching, God is the only thing that keeps them at bay and maybe even girl power if you squint one eye. The characters are barely dynamic, the jokes are very seventies infomercial-esque, and the resolution is too happy-go-lucky. In fact, the plot production seems rushed, considering that everything somehow returns to normal like there wasn’t a demon hellhound running rampantly in search for human prey only days before.

But the style—impeccable. The Conjuring universe has a remarkable flair for finding and creating a setting that embodies its timeline. From the quirky kitchenware to the garish clothes and cringe-worthy wallpaper, the environment is evident and accurate. Seriously, where do they find the props? The mood gives the viewer an overall sense of The Brady Bunch vibes, which adds an eerie emphasis to the demon filled plot foil. Overall, the atmosphere is traditional for a haunted house horror movie, but with a sensitivity to color theory, the deep blues and blood reds are especially evocative. Also the cinematography pays homage to classic horror films, with radical tilt shots and low angles.

All in all, the film’s plot seems incomplete and isn’t satisfying. The film production aspects and cinematography are intricate and extremely sensitive, but the writing leaves more to be desired. Maybe the irresolute ending is intentional to signify the future works, but there definitely should be more finesse. It actually seems blatantly unfair for viewers to pay for a film that only hints at future spinoffs, especially a film so slow to actually progress. Outside of the style and cinematography, it’s not impressing and not nearly as scary or interesting as the previews imply. Simply said, do not waste the money.

movie review
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About the Creator

Juels G

writing is experimental and a passion of mine. but i have a long list of passions. style and fashion are among the two i hold closest to my heart- figuratively, of course.

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