BEHINDWOODS COLUMN

The idea of featuring a doll as an antagonist in a horror movie like Annabelle has already been used extensively in an old movie “The Child’s Play” series. This movie will be in one of your  top “to watch” list thinking that you would be covered under your blanket the entire night, but only to realize what actually happened to all those jitters ? Well, the movie does not give you any of those triggers and scares which you ideally feel after watching any scary movie.

 

Being a prequel to last year’s creepiest movie ‘The Conjuring’, Annabelle does not satisfy the audience as expected to be. Set in the 60’s, the movie is about a young couple who are about to become new parents. On a surprise note John gets his wife the most precious doll that she has been wanting for a long time – Annabelle. The characters Mia and John are seen living in a big house and one night their house is invaded by a satanic cult couple. The very night, eccentric scenes happen in the neighborhood.  Since then, the couple starts experiencing terrifying super natural occurrences in their own house.

 

The movie has usual scary bits like creaky doors, long nailed black demon, gimmicks with the lights etc. What makes the movie a dull plot is the way it has been showcased and the lack of screenplay. There is not really much to ponder upon and things are pretty dull and dreary. There are exactly 3-4 scenes where one might get tiny nerve crackling shocks. The set pieces – Mia trapped in the lift, the kitchen catching fire and the fast paced sewing machine scenes do give us jump scares but some of them also turn out to be expected sequences.

 

There are some scenes which make no sense. When the couple decide to throw away the possessed doll, the husband dumps it in the garbage container behind their house. But once they move to a new house in another city, Mia finds the doll in a packed box and convinces herself to keep the doll with her. Let alone the house - in the baby’s room! Dumb and illogical decisions in a horror movie may not appreciate the plot and makes it a tough watch with less practicality.

 

The lead actors, Ward Horton and Annabelle Wallis try their best but did not deliver as expected. Annabelle Wallis as Mia is seen in a lot of sequences as a confused-panicked new mother who was there with her screaming-shouting scenes. Ward Horton was acting too cool to such oddball situations which give out confused signals. (Is he possessed too?? – asked my friend in between!) The factor that worked well with ‘The Conjuring’ was the surprise element and that is exactly what lacks in Annabelle.

 

There are few camera angles and lighting techniques that can be appreciated. The movie’s soul essence is the background music. The sound design is one satisfactory element which can be given an ‘A+’. The Conjuring or Insidious has given us a new dimension towards making horror films. Some scenes in this movie could give you fainted-hearted-sleepless nights if you are a person who is a poor Horror movie watcher!

 

For others who are expecting some serious screams and sleepless nights – you can give Annabelle a miss!