Review of Annabelle (2014) by Mike D — 20 Mar 2016

A prequel to the runaway supernatural thriller hit 'The Conjuring,' the scary doll-starring 'Annabelle' is a major departure from its predecessor in more ways than one. With James Wan absent from the helm on this effort, it's easy to see how big of a deal the director was in the success of 'Conjuring.'.

Set a decade earlier, 'Annabelle' follows the story of a young couple named John and Mia who are soon to be parents (portrayed by Ward Horton and Annabelle Wallis) when an antique doll is brought into their lives. Soon thereafter, a deranged couple who are part of a cult break into their home and use the doll as part of a sacrificial ritual. As you'd imagine, all sorts of things begin to happen to the couple, which continue once their daughter Leah is born. In the course of their troubles, John and Mia cross paths with some people who are eager to help them, including their priest, Father Perez (Tony Amendola) and a selfless bookkeeper (Alfre Woodard).

While 'Annabelle' tries to live up to the quality of 'Conjuring,' it falls severely short for a number of reasons. There are very few actual scares throughout the film, and there really is only one scene that is done very well. Even the cheap "jump scares" aren't anything to write home about. The acting is fairly wooden, which is to be expected for horror/thriller movies, but it's even more obvious here for some reason. There is also very little character development, which is a waste since there are so many "blank space" scenes littered throughout. And while the ending of the film is not terrible, it is extremely cookie-cutter and forgettable.

Simply put, 'Annabelle' has earned a spot on people's "skip" lists, considering there are far superior films to be seen out there.