Annabelle

REVIEW:

Annabelle serves as the next instalment in the ever-growing Conjuring universe, but unfortunately, it doesn’t come close to capturing the magic of its predecessor. The film opens on a promising note, cleverly tying itself back to The Conjuring with a recap of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s initial encounter with the infamous doll. From there, the story rewinds one year to give us the supposed origins of how this sinister object ended up in their possession, setting the stage for what should have been a chilling tale of demonic possession.

The premise alone should have made Annabelle an eerie and unsettling watch. The story revolves around a young couple, Mia and John, whose lives are turned upside down after a violent attack by members of a devil-worshipping cult. The cultists summon a demon, and soon after, their creepy porcelain doll—Annabelle—becomes a conduit for malevolent forces, tormenting the family, especially Mia, and their newborn baby. This setup has all the ingredients for an effective horror movie: cults, demons, innocent lives in peril, and a creepy doll at the centre of it all. However, despite the promising concept, the film just doesn’t deliver the expected scares or tension.

One of the biggest issues with Annabelle is how it attempts to create fear. Much of the tension is supposed to come from the doll itself, with the camera lingering on Annabelle’s expressionless face as if her mere presence is enough to unnerve the audience. But this tactic falls flat. Unlike the haunted house atmosphere or the expertly crafted jump scares in The Conjuring, Annabelle fails to make its title character frightening. The doll might be creepy to look at, but lingering shots of its face aren’t enough to sustain genuine terror throughout the film.

The direction by John R. Leonetti is also a contributing factor to the film’s downfall. Unlike James Wan, who directed The Conjuring with a mastery of pacing and suspense, Leonetti’s approach feels generic. His previous work doesn’t reflect a strong grasp of the horror genre, and it shows in this film. Scenes that should have left audiences on edge instead feel like missed opportunities. There’s a lot of buildup with little payoff. The movie moves too slowly, and when it does attempt to create tension, it relies too heavily on predictable scares that never quite hit the mark.

Another major flaw is the lack of compelling characters or a gripping setting. Mia and John, while likeable enough as a couple, never feel like fully fleshed-out people. Their reactions to the increasingly terrifying events around them feel muted, making it hard to truly empathise with their plight. When their lives are in danger, there’s no real sense of urgency. The setting, too, feels generic and unremarkable. The small apartment in which most of the movie takes place doesn’t have the claustrophobic, oppressive feel that could have made the haunting more effective. Instead, it feels bland and unmemorable.

Ultimately, Annabelle is a significant step down from The Conjuring. While it had the potential to be a chilling origin story for one of the most iconic objects in modern horror, it instead turns into a dull and forgettable experience. The film’s concept, involving a cult, a demon, and a haunted doll, was interesting, but the execution left much to be desired. In the end, Annabelle lacks the tension, creativity, and strong direction that made its predecessor such a success, leaving horror fans disappointed.