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Have an appreciation for horror and there are a fair share of good to classic ones in the genre as well as a fair share of not so good and even downright bad ones. Really liked both 'The Conjuring' films so watched 'Annabelle', which has garnered a lot of comparisons to especially the first film (having been released before the second, though saw 'Annabelle' after seeing the 'Conjuring' films) hoping it would be in similar vein, purposefully not reading too many reviews (those read disappointingly indicating otherwise).
'Annabelle' unfortunately turned out to be a disappointment. Have definitely seen far worse films, horror and overall (it's not even one of the worst of 2014), 'Annabelle' is not irredeemable. It sadly has a lot of faults that makes it a very lacklustre film, and if briefly comparing it to 'The Conjuring' it is nowhere near being in the same ball park.
It is a shame because it does start off very well. It is creepy to start with and the Manson-esque attack is unsettling and staged very well. It looks good too, nicely shot and the set design and late 60s setting are both beautiful and atmospheric to look at.
Similarly well done is the score, which does have many haunting moments. The titular character has moments of creepiness.
Unfortunately, there are times where she could have done with more expression. 'Annabelle's' biggest problems though is that when it goes downhill, which it does do rapidly far too early, it is not scary, nor is it particularly interesting. Tension and suspense is nowhere near enough and the too infrequent scares are obvious and going-through-the-motions like. Didn't feel much palm-sweating or heart-stopping here. Much of it is basically formulaic storytelling, that is also on the dull side, and a constant ticking off of predictable shocks and familiar genre tropes, the type of scares the film is over-reliant on having no build up or suspense.
Furthermore, 'Annabelle' has a banal script that has no flow or substance and direction that suggests their heart was not in it or at ease with the material. The pacing on the most part is perfunctory and the acting has little distinction, not amateurish but nobody stands out. The characters are not easy to engage with with so little development or much personality, while the ending is one big rushed anti-climax and things do get ridiculous and silly as the film progresses to an increasingly intensifying degree.
Concluding, lacklustre. 4/10 Bethany Cox
