Anna Bowman is a junior English and telecommunications major and writes ‘Film Annalysis' for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Anna at aabowman@bsu.edu.
Radio static, wild sewing machines, a popcorn inferno that no one started — these are just a few things that will get your blood pumping while you watch the prequel to "The Conjuring."
"Annabelle" starts with the cult murder of neighbors and continues with the satanic haunting of a vintage children’s toy. Though the central figure is a doll, which has been done numerous times, this movie offers a fresh take on how to fight the evil within it.
The pacing, a vital element in horror movies, is spot-on, from the moment there is a disturbance in the house next door to the time it takes for demons to get what they want. In many scary movies, once the audience is scared once, the pacing becomes predictable, but "Annabelle" drags on the suspense until just the right moment.
However, a word of warning to those with sensitive ears: sound is used several times to shock the audience. "Annabelle" does not rely too heavily on this technique, but there are still quite a few intense jolts in the audio to be aware of. By doing this, "Annabelle" got the biggest jumps from the audience without overusing grotesque visuals for shock value.
There are many iconic visuals to take note of in the film, such as writings in blood, child-like drawings of murder, and disturbed young girls, who have become quite popular in recent years. Although these images are ubiquitous in horror movies, "Annabelle" is successful in making them relevant to the subject matter.
This is mainly due to the writing, which is good at incorporating small details that would later become relevant to the film. The storyline is fairly straightforward, but it takes several turns to keep the audience from guessing the ending. The dialogue, while not necessarily original, is not obnoxiously cliché. The banter between husband and wife is funny enough to sustain interest in between the moments of fright.
As far as acting goes, ironically-named actress Annabelle Wallis plays a convincing mother. There is a true desperation evident in the way she behaves toward her character’s child and the delivery of her lines is natural and keeps with the mood of the scene. The real actress to look out for is Alfre Woodard, though. She plays a friend of the family, and her power to misdirect the audience is something very few actors can accomplish in such few scenes.
The cinematography used in "Annabelle" is very succinct. There are not many superfluous gore shots, and the shots that do include carnage are integral to the scene. There is a lot of variety in the types of shots used as well. One of the best shots in the movie is a sideways angle of the main character at the climax of the movie. It only happens once, but the out-of-control effect it creates played an important role in the scene.
For classic cult movie fans, "Annabelle" is reminiscent of "Rosemary’s Baby," a horror film from 1968. Though the two movies have very different endings, they both include a strong female lead, nosy neighbors and the presence of demons.
Demons are common in many scary movies, but the issue with "Annabelle" and "Rosemary’s Baby" is the exposition of the demons’ faces. Usually, fear of the unknown is the weapon of choice in horror films, but for these two, the face of the demon is clear and unyielding. Not only that, but the effects used in "Annabelle" for the demon were unoriginal and obviously simulated. This seems to be a weakness, as it leaves no mystery or realistic graphics to keep the audience interested, and for both films, the representation is fairly cliché.
The main issue of "Annabelle" is its representation of evil. Not only does it show the face of the demons conducting the haunting, but it also has far too many characters acting against the protagonists. A horror film should have one, or maybe two main antagonists throughout the story, or it gets confusing. The fact that there are at least four means that there should have been more of a focus on where exactly the evil comes from.
Nevertheless, if your taste is akin to strong suspense, minimum gore, and demonic plot points, Annabelle is a film worth watching.
Rating: 4/5
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