Annabelle Comes Home is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Gary Dauberman, in his directorial debut, from a script by Dauberman and a story by Dauberman and James Wan, who also acted as producer with Peter Safran. It serves as a sequel to 2014’s Annabelle and 2017’s Annabelle: Creation, and as the seventh installment in the Conjuring Universe franchise. The film stars Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, and Katie Sarife, along with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren.
The movie picks off from 2014’s Annabell, where Ed & Lorraine Warren confiscate the Annabelle doll from nurses Debbie and Camilla, who claim that the doll often performed violent activities in their apartment. During the drive back home, the doll summons spirits to attack Ed, but he narrowly survives. Annabelle is locked in a sacred glass case in the couple’s artifacts room that is blessed by Father Gordon to ensure the evil is contained. Sometime later they leave their young daughter Judy under the charge of teenage Mary Ellen at the house while they travel overnight to investigate another case. Judy sees the spirit of a dead priest at her school Mary Ellen’s friend Daniela arrives uninvited to the Warrens’ home, who is secretly curious about speaking to the dead.
She sneaks into the artifacts room and starts examining them, ultimately trying to contact her late father. She abruptly leaves Annabelle’s glass case unlocked, and the terror begins shortly afterward with the spirit of Bee Mullins unleashed. That night, Annabelle begins releasing other spirits, such as the Ferryman, the Bride, a Feeley Meeley board game, and the Black Shuck. Bob, a teenaged boy who Mary Ellen has a crush on comes to the house and later tries to serenade her but is attacked by the Black Shuck and runs into the backyard. Mary Ellen is tormented by the Ferryman, while Judy is confronted by Annabelle in her bedroom. Daniela had left earlier, but sneaks back to return the artifacts room’s keys. She gets locked inside the room and tormented by various objects, such as a piano and an old television that can predict the near future.
She finds the Mourner’s Bracelet and sees her father twisted into a malevolent spirit. A bloody and screaming Daniela appears on the television screen after having answered a cursed telephone. The real Daniela later unwittingly reaches to answer the telephone, but is interrupted by Judy and Mary Ellen. The priest’s spirit, acting as Judy’s guardian, guides them to the Ferryman. They manage to retrieve the glass case’s key after they are attacked by demonic hands from the Feeley Meeley board game and a possessed Daniela, but struggle to secure the case as the demon of the doll physically attacks them. Daniela recovers when Judy plays Ed’s recorded footage of the Bride’s exorcism, and helps replace the doll. After the case is locked, the disturbances cease as the spirits return to their slumber, and Bob reunites with the trio.
Ed and Lorraine, worst parents ever (leaving their kid in the house with a teenager and the possessed shit) return the next morning and the girls approach them to recount the eventful night. Daniela apologizes to Lorraine, who gives her a comforting message from her father. Later, many friends gather to celebrate Judy’s birthday party.
While not as good as the first two Conjuring movies, it certainly ranks as good as the first two Annabell movies. I like the child actress McKenna Grace from Designated Survivor & her recurring role in Fuller House and she does well here as do the two young actresses who play teenagers but are not teenagers. 7 outta 10!
