Annabelle Comes Home - 5/10

Written and Directed by Gary Dauberman

This film continues from the interview that the Warrens had with the two roommates at the beginning of the Conjuring. The interview concludes with the Warrens deciding to take the doll with them in order to contain the evil that is using it as a conduit. On the journey with the doll the Warrens realize that there is more to the doll than just being a conduit.

The film focuses on the Warrens daughter (Judy Warren). We notice early on that Judy is capable of seeing things that others cannot. Later in the film she admits that she is able to see spirits just as her mother can. It appears to me that exposure to this information is the main purpose of the film.

All events in the film are caused by a nosey teenager who enters the Warren's infamous room containing all cursed items that they have collected in their profession, including the Annabelle doll. She starts, unreasonably, messing around with all the items in the room and ends up releasing the doll. Her actions in the room are so illogical, and it is disappointing that the entire story unfolds because of them.

We get some exposure of the items and spirits trapped in the Warren's house since the doll tends to give them power and makes them all come to life once it is released. This gave me a strong 'Night at the Museum' vibe, which felt kind of goofy. Although its interesting to get exposure of the items in the Warren's house, and the spirits from previous cases. The characters are so unrelatable and illogical that the film is altogether the most unenjoyable in the series so far.

The babysitter makes questionable, unreasonable decisions throughout the film resulting in her getting in scary situations. The other characters deal with their own terrifying experiences but do not show sufficient fear and sometimes do not seem fazed at all. The jump scares are predictable and ineffective with little to no buildup. The viewer can feel spooked sometimes but it is difficult to experience the terror that is so easily felt in some of the previous films. There is lack of flow in the story which results in scary scenes being forced and rushed.

The film is especially disappointing for someone who is trying to grasp the consistencies in all the films in the conjuring series as there is not much valuable information in that regard.