Annabelle Comes Home is the third film in the Annabelle series, and the seventh installment in the Conjuring Universe. The film may be Gary Dauberman’s directorial debut, however he is quite experienced with the franchise, serving as a writer for the first two Annabelle films, as well as The Nun (2018) and The Curse of La Llorona (2019). There had to have been quite a bit of pressure to make Annabelle Comes Home a real treat for fans while offering something new and exciting, and he did just that.
Annabelle Comes Home picks up in 1971, after noted demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren (reprised by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) get Annabelle from the women we meet in the first film. On their way home, the couple have some unsettling supernatural experiences, making Lorraine realize the doll is a conduit for other spirits. They arrive home and lock Annabelle away in the glass case we have seen many times, effectively “containing the evil.” A year later, the Warrens leave their daughter, Judy (The Haunting of Hill House’s Mckenna Grace), in the care of her babysitter, Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman), for a night and is joined by Mary Ellen’s friend, Daniela (Katie Sarife). After Daniela takes it upon herself to explore the Warren’s forbidden room of paranormal treasures, including the imprisoned Annabelle, all hell breaks loose in the house, literally.
For many years now, we have been teased with glimpses of the Warren’s locked room, which contains items either used in hauntings and possessions or ritualistic practices. Annabelle Comes Home not only gives us a better look at many of the items, but even dives into quite a bit of backstory and lore. The film turns the Warren home into a house of horrors, and although Annabelle herself is a bit less present when compared to the first two films, this isn’t a negative as the surrounding chaos doesn’t let up. The backstories were both fascinating and terrifying, drawing inspiration from alleged accounts of the real-life Ed and Lorraine Warren.
The casting teams for the films have a serious knack for bringing on young talent, and this film is no exception. While Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s Ed and Lorraine are as warm as ever, the three main actresses successfully carry the bulk of the movie by keeping their characters likeable, relatable, and rational.
Even after seven films, it is impressive that Annabelle Comes Home is undoubtedly one of the strongest and most action-packed films in the Conjuring Universe. While it isn’t exactly groundbreaking in story, the film doesn’t go light on the horror and never struggles to keep up the momentum.
Annabelle Comes Home is currently playing in theaters nationwide.
Related Article: Review: ‘Child’s Play’ Gives Us a Fantastically Different Chucky
