Annabelle (2014)

Genre

Horror

Director

John R. Leonetti

Country

USA

Cast

Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola, Alfre Woodard, Kerry O'Malley, Brian Howe, Eric Ladin, Ivar Brogger, Gabriel Bateman, Geoff Wehner, Shiloh Nelson, Keira Daniels, Robin Pearson Rose, Camden Singer, Morganna Bridgers, Amy Tipton

Storyline

The lives of Mia (Annabelle Wallis) and John Gordon (Ward Horton) are turned upside down when they bring home a vintage doll.

Opinion

When I was younger, I used to be a huge horror movies fan; Annabelle is one of the reasons I am not anymore. I'm pretty sure this is one of the worst horror movies I've ever seen. Even worse than the Friday the 13th franchise. This film is Terrence Malick boring and the only reason I managed to watch the whole thing without falling asleep is that I didn't watch it at night.

The storyline was okay and could have been turned into something interesting. However, some brainless person "wrote" and "developed" it and it ended up being a huge pile of shit. So the overall story is incredibly weak, there is no such thing as development, and nothing about it makes sense. I'm still trying to figure out why would Mia want that creepy doll in her house. It's not a pretty doll, it's a beyond creepy doll. I wouldn't even walk in a room if that doll was in it. And I'm not scared of dolls. And don't believe in supernatural stuff.

To that, add a bunch of uninteresting, bland, clichéed, stereotyped characters that have no development whatsoever. No wonder the actors were terrible too. 

But it's not fair to blame only the writer - although most of the fault is his. The direction is terrible as well. I don't know what John R. Leonetti was doing while shooting this, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't doing what a director is supposed to do, direct.

Annabelle doesn't have a single scary sequence/moment, it doesn't have a climax, it doesn't have the right atmosphere and therefore completely fails on the task of building suspense. How do the filmmakers even dare to pass this as a horror movie? Ah, the mysteries of life.

Julia's Eyes (2010)

Original Title

Los ojos de Julia

Genre

Horror

Director

Guillem Morales

Country

Spain

Cast

Belén Rueda, Lluís Homar, Clara Segura, Julia Gutiérrez, Francesc Orella, Pablo Derqui, Joan Dalmau, Héctor Claramunt, Daniel Grao, Boris Ruiz, Victor Benjumea, Carlos Fabregas, Dani Codina, Oscar Foronda, Laura Barba

Storyline

After the death of her blind twin sister, Julia (Belén Rueda), who is also slowly losing her sight, starts investigating what the police says it's just a case of suicide.

Opinion

I really wanted to see this film when it came out but eventually didn't because of its supernatural elements. I wasn't a big fan of that at the time. Now things have changed, I've come to love Guillermo del Toro's work, and the least I could do was to check it out. And I have to say that "Julia's Eyes" really was a pleasant surprise. With flaws.

Even though it's not the first time that a horror flick uses blindness to fulfil its purpose, the story to this film is quite fascinating and original, and it does have some interesting plot twists in store. Unfortunately, it does also fall into some clichés of the genre, like the mysterious old man, or the chases through dark corridors.

With a sinister and mysterious atmosphere, Guillem Morales manages to deliver a lot of suspense and really keeps you on the edge of your seat, but, and this is a big one, there is a tremendous tension drop in the central part, and the story, even though it is rich in developments, doesn't seem to go anywhere. But then the final part comes in and it makes you almost forget about that middle section.

Some nice additions to the film are Oscar Faura's photography that really captures the atmosphere of the film, and Fernando Velazquez's musical score that adds plenty of suspense.

Not less important is the cast, especially Belén Rueda. I loved her performance in "The Sea Inside" and I was really curious to see how she would have done in horror and she does more than fine. Actually she is sensational in the role of the two sisters, especially in the second part of the film.