top of page
Jordan Berry

Annabelle Comes Home


Starring: Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Michael Cimino

Director: Gary Dauberman

If we split all horror movies into two categories (there are thousands, but for this exercise let’s imagine only two), they would be "Ruins Your Life" and "Fun." Both are “scary,” but one you have a good time watching and the other you do not. For example, Cabin in the Woods is a "Fun" horror movie; The Witch is a "Ruins Your Life" horror movie.


The Conjuring Universe has, up until this point (in its good installments), struck a very impressive mixture of the two types of horror. That is what made The Conjuring so incredible the first time I saw it in theaters. While it snuck into the back of my brain and really went to town on my sanity, I was smiling ear to ear at the fun of the hide and go seek/clapping game and the hanging laundry sequence. Unfortunately, not all of the films in this extended universe have been so successful. So far, the only movies in this to achieve this mix are the original, its direct sequel (both directed by horror maestro turned mainstream blockbuster generating machine James Wan), and the sequel to the first Annabelle movie, Annabelle Creation (directed by Shazam director David Sandberg).


So where does director Gary Dauberman, the man who has written and produced a lot of these movies, fall with his creepy doll installment? While it will not keep you awake at night like the best entries, there is a heck of a lot of well-made fun coursing through this thrill ride. Think of this less as a Conjuring movie and more like one of those 80's flicks where some likable characters enter a situation, the plot stops altogether, and scare sequence after delicious scare sequence follow.


The movie starts with paranormal investigating couple, Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprising their rolls in what amounts to an extended cameo). They’re taking the haunted doll Annabelle from her previous freaked out owners. On their way home, their car stalls outside a cemetery in the absolute foggiest spot on planet Earth. Spookiness follows and they realize that this doll is something more dangerous than they could have imagined. They get her home and put her in their haunted collection room in a specially made case to keep the evil at bay. They even hang a sign that says “positively do not open.”


One day, The Warren’s are going away and so they hire Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman) as a babysitter to watch their daughter Judy (Mckenna Grace). Mary Ellen’s best friend Daniela (Katie Sarife) comes by the house to check out the home and see if this ghost thing is legit. When Daniela is snooping around (after being specifically asked not to, of course) she opens Annabelle’s case and messes with just about everything in that haunted, locked room. The movie tries to give her an excuse, but to be honest it doesn’t make much sense, both because of the aforementioned sign and the fact that the doll looks like the devil is all up in and around it. Fun Fact: the real Annabelle is a Raggedy Anne doll which would be silly in the movie, but if you sit and think about it is SO MUCH SCARIER (look sharp and you’ll see a Raggedy Anne cameo in the movie).


The three girls end up looking at The Warren’s case files, which gives the movie a handy and fast way to introduce us to a few of the spirits we will be encountering in the movie (and potentially beyond, as just about every spooky thing in this series gets a spin-off). Soon things start getting strange and before long the sun goes down, the girls are trapped in the house, the doll is no longer in her case, and they experience horror after horror after horror (one of which is The Ferryman, who hath visited my dreams uninvited since I met him).


Thus ends the plot. All the characters get a few things to work with and a bit of an arc, but this is an efficient machine designed to mainline you some scares. It sounds like a knock, but honestly this is how many haunted house horror movies operate. Give us just enough to care and then plunge us into the deep end. I did care about these people more than most horror movie fodder. In so many hastily constructed first acts, horror movies make their characters insufferable jerks or ridiculously stupid and Annabelle Comes Home wisely makes all of its characters overall good people who you don’t want to see hurt.


This is Dauberman’s first time directing, but he clearly has intimate knowledge of this world. He also seems to have really studied the other films in this series, mistakes and successes alike, as he shows an impressive sense of spatial awareness and tension building. He also knows that it’s imperative to The Conjuring's brand of world building to seed items and monsters early in the film, so that when they appear again the audience immediately starts groaning with discomfort.


There is so much awesome here that it is a shame to say that Annabelle herself drags the movie down. Part of what makes her creepy is that she doesn’t move while on screen, or at least, not in any supernatural way (it is a literal rule given to the directors who make Annabelle movies). Without a doubt, this makes her scarier and differentiates her from other demon dolls like Chucky, Puppetmaster, anything in the movie Dolls, or even one of my childhood favorites, Toy Soldiers. At the same time, we have seen her in 4 movies now, so her shtick is getting a little old (though there is a bedroom scene here that proves me wrong).


It seems that the powers that be have noticed the doll fatigue as well and so they’ve filled this fun house to the brim with other attractions. This makes her a supporting character in her own movie. We are told that everything is happening because of her influence, but the doll itself is just one amongst all the other things going bump in the night. This is all well and good, but it is her name on the marquee.


Similarly, the inclusion of The Warren’s in an Annabelle movie makes this feel like The Conjuring 2.5, and against the main entries in the series this entry looks slight. This is a fun, summer, turn off your brain horror flick and not a main narrative entry by any means. It is undeniably fun to see Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga together on screen again.


Fun is the operative word for the whole endeavor. It is not going to change horror, it is not going to be a classic, but it is a very good time with some very cool set pieces and villains. If you like The Conjuring and especially if you like Anabelle Creation, then you will have a blast with Annabelle Comes Home. If you are just a casual moviegoer looking for some scares, you can do far worse than this spooky doll.


Grade: B+

bottom of page