Director: John R. Leonetti
Writer: Gary Dauberman (Screenplay)
Starring: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola, Alfre Woodard, Kerry O’Malley, Brain Howe, Eric Ladin, Ivar Brogger
Plot: A couple begins to experience terrifying supernatural occurrences involving a vintage doll shortly after their home is invaded by satanic cultists.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Just Another Demon Film
Story: Annabelle starts by telling us the part of the story that happened in ‘The Conjuring’ just to remind us about what we will be watching. We go back a year earlier Mia (Wallis) and John (Horton) are planning for their first child. We see early stages of tension between the couple and they both try to keep everything together. John happens to buy an Annabelle doll for their child, which I might add they don’t know whether it will be a boy or a girl, but they have way to many dolls if it turns out to be a boy.
The first night of having this creepy ass doll Mia hears screams coming from the house next door and the neighbours needing an ambulance. The incident leads to Mia getting stabbed and the two intruders who are part of a cult both die one from being shot the other suicide. Luckily for the couple the baby is unharmed but Mia is ordered to stick to bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy.
The ordeal for the couple has only just starting when strange things start happening around the house, including the sewing machine turning itself on. Disposing of the doll because the suicide girl died holding it. Mia has the baby even though the house catches fire, but just in time for the couple of move for John’s new job. The couple have a baby girl Leah, good job they had all the dolls ready for a baby girl, but one doll made the trip that they didn’t want to, the Annabelle doll. It soon becomes apparent that whatever was haunting them at the old house is back but John doesn’t know what to make of Mia’s claims. Mia alone in the apartment overnight continues to get haunted by strange goings on, Mia must fight off whatever is after her and her baby before it is too late. Mia learns that she could be up against a demon that the cult that tried to kill her had summoned. Mia has to find a way to give the demon a soul to make it vanish once and for all.
Annabelle is the prequel to the good horror film ‘The Conjuring’ and it focuses on somewhat of a side note from that film with the creepy doll. The problem is that the doll is nothing but a creepy doll that just gets moved around by a demon. Nearly everything that happens is very generic for the genre right down to the characters decisions. We have the trademark priest falling to actually do anything to help. The idea does put the story into a real horror situation from the intruders to the possession which should really make this a much scarier film than we actually get. It just seems to take too long to really roll into the main side of the haunting especially as we already know about the doll. (6/10)
Actor Review
Annabelle Wallis: Mia loving wife and soon to be mother who gets attacked, but once she has the baby she continues to get haunted by a spirit demon who wants her baby. Annabelle does a solid job in the lead role but really struggles to make an impact when it comes to the legacy of a role like this. (6/10)
Ward Horton: John Gordon father and husband who spends most of the film at work leaving Mia to do all the work against the demons. Ward does what he can with what little he has to work with here. (4/10)
Support Cast: Annabelle has a supporting cast of people who try to help mainly the useless priest and a lady full of regret because of what happened to her own child. They offer the usual help without really doing much to the story.
Director Review: John R. Leonetti – John gives us a standard modern horror with easy jump scares instead of any tension building. (5/10)
Horror: Annabelle enters into the world of cheap jump scares that can be called well before they happen. (5/10)
Settings: Annabelle has most of the hauntings going on inside a house which brings the horror back home for the characters. (9/10)
Suggestion: Annabelle is one for the horror fans to try but don’t expect too much from it. (Horror Fans Try)
Best Part: Ghost attack changing age through a door.
Worst Part: Cheap jump scares.
Scariest Scene: Ghost changing age after running through a door.
Believability: it is said to be based on real events but it is up to you what you want to believe. (5/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: It will have one.
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $255 Million
Budget: $6.5 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Overall: This really is a lacklustre prequel to one of the better recent horror films, it because lazy with its scares and turns into something we have seen before.
Rating 
