Annabelle-2014
Director-John R. Leonetti
Starring-Annabelle Wallis
Scott’s Review #186
Reviewed October 17, 2014
Grade: B+
Annabelle is a classic, edge-of-your-seat, ghost story that is effective in its creepiness and element of surprise.
Set in California circa 1969, John and Mia Gordon are the all- American happy young couple. He is a Doctor and she is beautiful and pregnant with their first child. They attend church each Sunday, are friendly with the neighbors and have a strong sense of community.
As a surprise, John bestows a life-sized doll on Mia as a present and as an addition to her existing collection of interesting dolls. Before long strange events begin to occur- a home invasion, a fire, a bizarre experience in an elevator, and creepy drawings by the neighbor’s children.
The film eventually dives into murkier territory when a strange, religious woman, played by Alfre Woodard, is introduced, and the film then shifts focus a bit to spirits, taking one’s soul, and the occult.
What sets Annabelle apart from similar horror contemporaries is the power of suspense- we as the audience know something bad is going to happen- we just do not know when.
Unlike many horror films that slice and dice for shock value, Annabelle has none of these qualities. Rather, foreshadowing and anticipation are common within the film, making the eventual jumps scarier! – Mia’s constant use of an electric sewing machine and Mia attentively watching news coverage of the Manson murders are clues as to what will come next.
A scene set in the middle of the night as a home invasion takes place next door is shot exceptionally well- think Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window- with no dialogue- that the audience sees inside the house from across the yard as violence occurs- frightening.
Within the same scene we know the home invasion will gravitate to Gordon’s house- but when will it strike? Another effective scene shows a seemingly innocent little girl running towards another character in a separate bedroom, but she quickly turns into a maniacal fiend and the foot thudding makes this terrifying- I found myself genuinely scared during a few scenes!
Wisely choosing to avoid the all too frequent CGI effects, Annabelle instead goes the traditional route with genuine scares harvested from the unknown and the feeling of anticipation and dread of events to come.
The fantastic musical score composed by Joseph Bishara adds to the anticipation. Annabelle is a prequel to the equally scary The Conjuring and the very first scene is, in fact, the same first scene from that film where two nurses explain how they obtained the doll, named Annabelle, and cannot get away from her.
The final act of Annabelle delves into the spiritual world of evil- a soul (presumably Mia’s or her babies) must be sacrificed to relinquish the curse put upon by Annabelle’s original owner.
A surprising figure aids in the conclusion of this film. Annabelle is old-school horror done very well.