The next instalment in the iconic film series The Conjuring is here. Annabelle Comes Home is directed by Gary Dauberman, an all-new director on the Hollywood circuit who is dedicated to keeping the thrill of old school horror films alive.

The fresh new film is rumoured to contain plenty of jump scares and sustained suspense antics just like its predecessors (and like online bingo NZ!), but due to its new directorship is also said to boast a new take on the classic series, complete with a few horror-genre conventions to appeal to long time proponents thereof.

Annabelle Comes Home hit US movie theaters on June 26, 2019 (and will appear in the UK on July 10) after a long period of suspenseful waiting on fans’ part. The Warner Bros. release is aimed to capitalize on The Conjuring’s extended universe and massive popularity, with the two Conjuring films grossing $640 million combined and the two Annabelle spin-offs raking in another $564 million. The Nun, which debuted in 2018, earned $366 million alone!

Ed, Judy and Lorraine Warren Return

There is something about the low-budget, realistic fright-fest vibe of this series that has been a major hit with viewers, and judging by the buzz surrounding Annabelle Comes Home, this streak is far from over. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are back as Lorraine and Ed Warren in the new film, while Grace McKenna stars as Judy, the introverted daughter of the infamous paranormal investigators.

Judy, who is outcasted at school because of her parents’ unusual profession, turns to her babysitter Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman) for friendship – and it is Mary Ellen who keeps an eye out for her while Ed and Lorraine leave for an overnight job. Joined by Mary Ellen’s sassy-mouthed pal Daniela (Katie Sarife), Judy soon discovers that her home is full of evil spirits, including of course that terrifying cupboard-confined doll Annabelle.

Annabelle Comes Home is a sort of merging of all of the original Conjuring films, which focused on the investigations of Ed and Lorraine, and the Annabelle films, which served as this movie’s frightful prequels. Interestingly, the paranormal investigators themselves only make a few brief appearances in the latest instalment; instead, the focus is all on the younger characters as they grapple with the sheer fear that only the grinning Annabelle can instil.

Prepare To Be Scared This July

So far, film critics have praised Dauberman for his writing and directorial work on the new title, saying that his work in the earlier Annabelle and The Nun films gave him a definite feel for the franchise. Viewers should prepare for an ominous atmosphere, feelings of creeping anxiety, and spine-crawling jump scares, along with that famous low-light cinematography that helped make the other films in the franchise such big hits.

Overall, Annabelle Comes Home has been described as being reminiscent of the cheesy but chilling horror flicks that trademarked the 1980s, only with better special effects and more emotional engagement as Judy discovers that she may have inherited some of her parents’ famous psychic abilities along the way.