Hello everyone and welcome back to our look at the Conjuring films. At this point, we are now four films deep with three (four if you count La Llorona as an entry) left to go. So far in our journey, I would definitely say that these films are very much comfort horror. These are films that have a high chance of revisiting when the weather is rainy and gloomy outside. Kind of like how Storm of the Century is essential viewing during those winter months. All of them have managed to rate pretty high as well. Or another good example is when you are in bed, sick. What movies are you more likely to throw on the TV? Something that you've seen before and know you like or something new? I know for me, there was a time where I'd throw on the Indiana Jones movies when I was under the weather. It was something to throw on and I'd quickly find myself in a comfort zone where I'd fall asleep.
I mentioned in the last installment that my son has now joined in on watching these films. He still hasn't watched The Nun, Annabelle, or Creation. But with what he's seen so far, he's sold on the films. He's highly interested in finding out more of these stories. When we watched The Conjuring and it said based on true story, he just looked at me with a look of 'Was that real?'. At that point, I had to explain to him that some part of it may have happened. But that sometimes when films are based on true stories, sometimes they like to embellish events for dramatic purposes. But the important thing is that this does make an interesting gateway to horror as well.
After we had finished The Conjuring, he asked for a small five minute intermission. I immediately was thinking that he was going to be ready to be done. When the intermission ended, he was sitting right beside me asking for the next film. I hit play and Annabelle Comes Home began playing.
When Annabelle Comes Home was originally released, I don't know if I necessarily liked it. It is a film that is a bit big and ambitious on one hand, but still small and personal. I also will admit that i was extremely hard on the film. Creation was something that I also enjoyed, but at the same time just felt like something was missing. I wasn't sure what I was originally expecting. I guess I was expecting more of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in the film.
Now with this rewatch, I gave it a lot more of a chance. I knew exactly what to expect for the most part in terms of the tone. If The Nun was a throwback to Hammer Horror and The Conjuring was a paranormal horror, then Annabelle Comes Home is very much a Haunted House Tour. It also feels very much like a Goosebumps or Night at the Museum type entry in the Conjuring films. I honestly would say that Annabelle Comes Home is a harder Goosebumps. Honestly that makes a lot of sense if you compare Annabelle herself to Slappy.
Something that definitely contributes to the Night of the Museum/Goosebumps thrill ride feel of the film are the many things unleashed. It was extremely cool seeing a film just throw everything into it and at the screen. In this installment, we definitely get to uncover more glimpses of what exactly is in the Warrens room. There's the Bride, The Ferryman, the Hellhound, and the Samurai. Each one of these characters are exceptionally strong. They could have had their own film where we see the Warrens encountering and acquiring the trinket. However what we get in this film is a sequence that honestly gives them their own spotlight. So maybe this was a way of getting to throw together some side characters that they came up with but had no idea of how to get them to the big screen. I would definitely consider the Hellhound to be the weakest of these new characters. It just felt a little too close to the Werewolf of Fever Swamp from the 2015 Goosebumps film. The most striking out of the bunch is definitely the Ferryman. The idea of just those gold coins for the eyes and then when the light shines on it, they just fall to the floor. It's so eerie. Definitely one of the best uses of a jump scare in the film for sure as well.
One of the things that's incredibly interesting is that we get more time with Judy Warren. Now, it's pretty safe to say that if you're this deep into the franchise, you'll have an idea of who Judy is. Something that I wasn't aware of till this franchise watch was that they recasted Judy. In this installment, she was played by McKenna Grace. I thought the name looked familiar and then was reminded by my son that she was in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Judy is a pretty great character. We are shown an idea of how her parents' fame did effect her. She's kind of treated as an outcast by her fellow students. She also seems to have a bit more of her mother's gift that's highlighted in a subtle sequence with a spirit of a Priest. This sequence was very brief. At first, I didn't notice it. But then I had stopped the film for a second and my son was like Why did you stop. Then I went back and noticed the Priest in the background. It's a character that I would love to see return if they continue with more Conjuring films.
After Judy, we have Mary Ellen, Daniela and Bob. To get things started, I will have to mention Bob's got balls. This is a joke that honestly made me laugh every single time. It wasn't even old when Patrick Wilson's Ed made mention of it. Just goes to show just how small the town they lived in was. So, Mary Ellen is Judy's babysitter and a kickass one at that. She cares about Judy and how she's doing. She also happens to have a crush on Bob, who likes her as well. Then there's Daniela, this is a character that in my initial watch I hated. She was annoying. It felt like she was just there to throw the plot into overdrive. I just couldn't connect with the character whatsoever. In this recent watch, I was able to find that connection. This is a character that has lost their father and feels responsible. I guess I must have missed the line that she was driving with her father when they got into an accident. When I had heard that, it connected. Though, my son was screaming at her when she was moving around in the Room just touching all the different objects. And then there's Bob, he'
s got balls. He works at his Dad's grocery store and is the manager of the school's basketball team apparently. He also has a crush on Mary Ellen and very clueless about how to tell her that.
Another thing is this isn't necessarily a scary film in the usual sense. It does have some creepiness and uneasiness. But it's more of a haunted house experience. It's incredibly evident when you think about the characters. Each character does have something to make them standout. But for the most part, it feels a bit base level basic. It's a bit shallow when you especially compare it to Annabelle Creation or the other Conjuring films. However while I thought Mary Ellen and Judy were the main characters, that's not true to an extent. I would say that this is Daniela's story told through Judy and Mary Ellen's perspective. This is something I strongly felt as literally Daniela finds herself locked into the Room and downright tortured by the different objects - that damn TV.
And then we have Annabelle. It's interesting seeing Annabelle used the way that she is. Again, it's a bit like Slappy from Goosebumps at times. But one of the best pieces of continuity within this franchise is when Annabelle escapes the glass case, Mary Ellen answers the door to find the spirit of Annabelle (Samara Lee from Creation). Immediately, I was like Oh wow I totally forgot about that. It's just a very nice tip of the hat for those that are well deep into the franchise. Honestly at this point, I would say that the Conjuring films are a well oiled machine like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yeah, there's some small bits of continuity mess ups - but most part, it's all good. The downside though with Annabelle, it does show that there's not too much story that can be told with her. Chances of seeing another Annabelle film after this one are pretty slim. And that's honestly not a bad thing as again we get another welcome entry in this comfort horror franchise. It's all connected.
For me, I really appreciated the film so much more in this watch. Everything managed to work better. There were some instances where it did feel like the story was wrapping up, but then it kept going. For my son, there was a moment or two where had to take a few minute break. I asked why and he explained that it was a bit spooky for him. So, I'd consider it to be extremely effective for him as well. If you have a chance of checking it out, I'd recommend it.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5.
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