Annabelle Comes Home (2019) **

 I think besides the CGI werewolf that took me right out of the film, I have had a good time with "Annabelle Comes Home" (2019) both times I've watched it. While I have plans to watch "Annabelle Creation" (2017) tomorrow night (it will be my first viewing, I believe), I had been wanting to revisit this third film in the franchise (it follows right after the 2014 "Annabelle") again after renting it on Redbox back in January 2020. My review for it wasn't particularly a hit on the blog, to put it mildly.

They certainly went for it with the possessed items room. Whereas in time’s past we got a glimpse, a brief visit, with Sarife desperately wanting to tell her deceased father’s spirit she was sorry for the car crash she’s willing to risk whatever bad might happen just for the off-chance he hears her. That guilt is there but Sarife puts up a front of chill later dissolved when admitting to high school pal, Iseman, and the Warrens’ daughter, played by Mckenna Grace (who has her mother’s psychic, “I see dead people” sixth sense) the reason she went into the off-limits room. Grace is that gifted child who has learned a lot from her devoutly Catholic parents and demonologist / paranormal specialists. I’ll be honest, though: this should have been rated PG-13. It is just not that bad. Throwing a fuck once before Sarife opens the possessed items room and a “vision stab” right before Sarife is possessed (donning the dreaded cursed bridal gown and veil) don’t necessarily constitute a R-rating so horror fans won’t balk. Granted, I reckon a certain age of folks will want to avoid this if just because Annabelle, to the credit of the Conjuring Universe creative team, remains such an eerie spook device. I guess with the Ferryman and his tossed coins, an actual demon right out of The Other from “Insidious”, the Samurai suit possessed by spirits of war, the monkey with its cymbal, the television that reveals 30 seconds into the future (Sarife learns this when walks up to it), the bridal ghoul, the “altered” spirit of Sarife’s father (a corrupted version thanks to the demon), and the appearances of Annabelle (there is always a visual trick showing her popping up here and there, particularly around Grace), the R rating maybe garnered its merit.While the Warrens are more like “special guest stars” (one of my favorite scenes remains their stop at a cemetery when the car goes dead and ghosts are attracted to Annabelle, in the back seat, like chum to the Great White), the film gives the three young actresses almost exclusive focus, and their combat with what is released from the items room thanks to the escape of the demon and Annabelle is essentially what makes up a majority of the big effects and scare scenes. But that formula--call it the Conjuring formula--is alive and well. I anticipate that same formula in “Annabelle Creation”. Still, good showcase for the trio of actresses, especially Grace.

It still has the heart-warming conclusion where the girls join forces and lock Annabelle back in the box, fight off the demon with a crucifix, and Sarife is told by Farmiga that her dad doesn’t blame her for his death. All’s well.

I move my rating up from 2.5 to 3/5.