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Annabelle Comes Home

6/10

Stars: Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Michael Cimino

Director: Gary Dauberman

Annabelle, the demonic doll from two previous horror films, now passes into the hands of the Warrens (still Farmiga & Wilson), the paranormal investigators and demonologists from the 'Conjuring' films.

They lock her securely away in the 'evil room' at their home, since, even with Annabelle only on the back seat of their car in a rather boring preamble, ghosts and ghouls beset their homeward journey. 'It's the doll, Ed,' says Farmiga. 'It's a beacon for other spirits (whatever that means).

Annabelle, however, doesn't stay locked away for long, when Daniela (Sarife) - one of the two babysitters Ed and Patricia have engaged for their 11-year-old daughter (gravely played by Grace) - who is anxious to communicate with her dead father, rather fortuitously finds the keys to the evil room.

Lots of false scares and interminable creeping around with flashlights ensue before the film's horror quotient really lets rip in the final reel. But boy, does this movie take a long time to get going, and the eventual result is Monsters Inc rather than anything that might raise hackles on the backs of our necks.

The acting is pretty decent; indeed, the three girls are rather better than Wilson and Farmiga, who are beginning to look a little bored with it all.

David Quinlan

USA 2019. UK Distributor: Warner Brothers. Colour by FotoKem.
107 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 09 Jul 2019