'Annabelle' Takes Place Before 'The Conjuring'
ANNABELLE Opens on Friday Directed by John R. Leonetti 1 hour 39 minutes
A spinoff of 'The Conjuring,' 'Annabelle' begins with a modified version of that film's first scene, which introduces the killer doll of the title. But instead of flashing forward, it flashes back. Sharon Tate's murder is still in the news. The doll-collecting Mia (Annabelle Wallis), whose name evokes the 'Rosemary's Baby' star Mia Farrow, is pregnant. Her husband, John (Ward Horton), is preparing for a medical residency.
The director, John R. Leonetti, served as the cinematographer on 'The Conjuring' (2013), and the best scares in 'Annabelle' involve tricks of the eye. A murder in a neighbor's house is seen through Mia's bedroom window. A sensational long take choreographs a home invasion. Set largely in a Santa Monica, Calif., house and an apartment in Pasadena, 'Annabelle' is less cluttered with creepy bric-a-brac than 'The Conjuring.' (The original director, James Wan, produced here.) But Mr. Leonetti embraces the potential of negative space.
'Annabelle' seems less confident when it comes to its secondhand plot, which includes such standbys as self-shutting doors and self-popping popcorn. Alfre Woodard plays the neighbor who believes that Mia isn't just seeing things; Tony Amendola is the priest who helps the family. But, as the introductory title card explains, haunted dolls have been around 'since the beginning of civilization,' which leaves room for Annabelle to pop up many times again. BEN KENIGSBERG
'Annabelle' is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Violence, blood and a possessed elevator.
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