Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Annabelle Comes Home Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 30, 2019

Most of the modern, sprawling Horror franchises don't come with the sort of feel for longevity, widespread popularity, and popular culture infusion as do so many others within more approachable, more family-friendly institutions (Marvel and Star Wars). Back in the day, Freddy and Jason were on the tip of every tongue and flooded theaters with new entries almost by the month, it seemed, but Horror's evolution away from franchise slashers eventually gave way to gore-fests (Saw) and now supernaturally bent Chillers like Annabelle Comes Home, the sixth film within the larger "Conjuring" universe that began with 2013's well received The Conjuring. The franchise has admirably hung on with generally good quality, if not a bit narratively thin, movies that continue to build and bank on light scares and tepid and recycled atmosphere, still a welcome reprieve from the baseless bloodletting of years past but offering only marginal scares to make up for the lack of crimson.

Safe...for now.

Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren are in possession of the “Annabelle” doll, a vessel that is said to be “a beacon for other spirits.” It is locked away in their house behind glass, lock, key, and regular blessings and prayers, a safe space from which the doll cannot escape or wield its horrific powers. But when the couple leaves home for an overnight work trip, their daughter Judy (Mckenna Grace) is left with her trustworthy babysitter Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman). Judy is unpopular at school -- she and her family have been stigmatized -- and Mary Ellen takes it upon herself to bring a bit of birthday joy to Judy’s life. But when Mary Ellen’s friend Daniela (Katie Sarife) makes herself at home at the Warren house with an agenda to key in on the couple’s connection to the supernatural and reconnect with her late father, she inadvertently sets in motion a series of horrific events when she frees Annabelle from her confines, putting everyone at great risk.

The movie’s focus gradually shifts from Ed and Lorraine to Judy and Mary Ellen and ultimately, and most interestingly to Daniela, a teenage girl whose father tragically died in a car accident and with whom she has been trying to communicate. She hopes that by mere presence in the Warren house she will have better luck, and when she stumbles upon the artifact room, she comes to realize that there’s more to the spirit world than peaceful reconnection with the dearly departed. The movie is both slowly paced and narratively unrewarding as it powers through the motions, as things transition from perfectly normal to paranormally intense. The story maneuvers through effective, but unimaginative, atmosphere but does find hearty engagement in the final few minutes as various demons and other supernatural riffraff enter the picture, but is it enough to save a movie that feels made by rote and from spare parts and recycled concepts? Not really.

Annabelle Comes Home plays like a quickly developed movie with minimal dramatic reward. The story unfolds gradually with drawn-out scenes of low-light exploration with the payoff often being a jump scare rather than something of substance. Make no mistake it’s well made -- the production design is perfectly implemented and executed, the cast is up to the challenge of acting the parts with appropriate trepidation and fear, and the atmosphere, as stale as it may be, is baseline effective as a complimentary piece of the larger whole that explores some of the lore within the larger universe -- but franchise veterans shouldn’t expect to find a movie that reworks convention. The movie is all too comfortable in the universe and satisfied to simply repurpose genre standards. It’s not particularly scary, there’s little emotional attachment to anyone or anything going on, and one cannot escape the feeling that the movie was made not to tell a necessary story but rather to capitalize on the latest genre fad.

Annabelle Comes Home Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Annabelle Comes Home was shot on digital. It exhibits a fair bit of noise, noise that is dense enough to take notice but not often appearing to obvious and intrusive levels. The picture is in good working order. Clarity is excellent and definition is tight. Considering period attire, facial textures, and details around the Warren home, the picture appears fully and intimately detailed across its assortment of visuals. Perhaps most rewarding are the clothes; Daniela's sweater is of particular note for its tangible, tactical, dense and highly detailed fabric. Colors are a little warm to give the movie that period contrast, but there's certainly no lack of zest and intensity to the palette, particularly when considering more punchy clothes against the warm wooden accents around the house. Skin tones are spot-on with alterations only by external influencers. Black levels, critical to the movie's most atmospheric moments, raise no alarms. This is a quality presentation from Warner Brothers; it's hard to imagine a UHD delivering significant alterations.

Annabelle Comes Home Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Annabelle Comes Home earns a capable Dolby Atmos soundtrack that is defined by long stretches of sonic banality and punctuated by intense full-stage output during the movie's scare scenes, with emphasis on the final few minutes. The subwoofer engages with prolific depth and intensity on several occasions, first when Daniela calls out to spirits to unlock a door in the Warren's home and certainly in the final act when the stage becomes a demonic playground of sonic terror. A symphony of ringing bells at the 78 minute mark is a sonic highlight, a full stage engaging moment that demonstrates the track's prowess beyond its throatiest elements. Mild atmosphere in school and around the house are well integrated. Music ranges from extremely large to soft and light, finding good clarity and stage placement at both extremes and throughout the middle, too. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized as it presents from a natural front-center location.

Annabelle Comes Home Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Annabelle Comes Home contains several featurettes and some deleted scenes. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Behind the Scenes (1080p): A three-part feature.
  
  
  • Part 1: The Ferryman/Demon (5:18): Alexander Ward portrays two of the film's most terrifying characters. The piece looks in-depth into crafting the prosthetics and Ward's performances within.
  • Part 2: The Bloody Bride (2:57): Natalia Safran's bloody character explored in quick detail.
  • Part 3: The Werewolf (3:07): Crafting the werewolf scene.
• The Artifact Room and the Occult (1080p, 5:07): A tour through the film's most important set piece with focus on a few specific artifacts.
• The Light and the Love (1080p, 4:26): A look at the juxtaposition between Ed and Lorraine's love life and the darkness that surrounds their line of work.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 11:28 total runtime): Included are Roller Skate, Kitchen, Birthday Cake, Daniela and the Bride, Search for Annabelle, Alternative Ending, and Talk About the Werewolf.

Annabelle Comes Home Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Annabelle Comes Home is the lowest grossing film in the series per Box Office Mojo. Perhaps audiences are growing weary of the increasingly stale universe or were turned off by tepid reviews, but either way it's hopefully a sign that there's a need for formula reworking or, better, abandoning the universe altogether and starting on the next Horror trend. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release of Annabelle Comes Home does deliver perfectly good video and audio presentations and a nice little assortment of extras. Fans will be pleased with the release, even if lamenting the absence of a UHD companion.